The Changing Lights of the Rainbow
by skyyador
Summary: Part 2 of 'The Night the Lights Went Out in Kansas' This is a story about the beginning of the broken Winchester family. How it all got started and The beginnings of the hunting world. Rated M for mature, as there may be mentions of child abuse and neglect, and language, this is the Winchesters after all, and at a very young age, we all knew there was some neglect with hunting.
1. Chapter 1

**The Changing Lights of the Rainbow**

Chapter 1

The days blurred into each other. The old motel rooms all seemed the same. They had the same dim lighting, the same awful, musky smell. They always had two beds, separated by a small table with an alarm clock and phone sitting on it. Above the table was a lamp that hung from the wall. Beside the bed closest to the door was always a small table with two chairs. Across from the beds sat a long dresser with a tv on top it.

Sitting on the tv was a laminated card with the tv line up and the listing for pay per view channels. Sometimes, when John was around, he would take advantage of his credit card schemes and order a pay per view channel. Usually, it was when he thought the boys were long asleep, sometimes, Dean would be awake, or woken by the sounds, but he never thought anything of it. To him, everything was normal. When you live in such cramped conditions, with no room for personal space, it was normal. He wasn't exactly old enough to understand or care about what his dad was doing, or what the people on the tv were acting out.

Beside the tv listing was usually a stack of pamphlets, things to do in the area, things that might interest normal people, but the Winchesters were far from normal. In fact, some of the times, the places in the pamphlets were the reason they were in town, not for sightseeing, but for hunting.

Beside the pamphlets, there always sat a Bible. Dean figured it was for the people who would get scared after visiting the local haunted house, or taking the ghost tours, they offered. If they were lucky, they would be able to pick up four or five of the channels on the list, the others were just a bunch of blur and static.

Dean used the tv to educate himself. He watched daytime tv to learn how to take care of his growing brother. The daily soap shows would teach him what his brother needed for basic care, and how to handle him when he was crying or needing something. He would watch the talk shows to find out what was the healthiest options for him, and what was dangerous for little kids. He learned that babies needed to stay away from small items, they caused a choking hazard, and that they shouldn't be around knives or guns. Dean made a mental note to make sure Sammy didn't get his knife or in Dad's weapons bag.

He also watched cartoons. Sammy liked them too. But, Dean watched them so he could learn things. Things he should have learned in school. He learned how to put letters together to make words, and how to sound them out. TV taught him how to read and count, and his colors and shapes. He even helped Sammy learn them as he grew.

Dad would leave them alone most of the time. He was too busy trying to hunt the monsters, or getting information from other hunters he would meet up with. He had become consumed by the hunt. The need for revenge on the demon that killed his wife had filled every empty spot her death had left. He was an empty shell, filled with determination, there was no room for things like emotions, or feelings.

He would leave the boys with enough food for the length of time he'd be gone. But, Sammy was a growing baby, and always seemed to want more. Dean had learned, at the very beginning of this new adventure, to store food away, not to eat unless he absolutely needed to. He was glad he was smart enough to figure that out, because it came in handy when Sammy wanted more food but everything Dad left was gone. Dean hadn't figured out how to stretch the food out and make it last, yet. But, he was only five years old, almost six.

Sammy's first birthday was coming up soon. It was cold outside, and the boys had found themselves in another cheap motel that reminded him of all the others they had stayed at. Dad said he would only be gone a day, two at most. Two days had passed, and the food he left for them was long gone. Dean had been feeding Sammy from the food he stored away. It had been almost six months since his family was broken. And, he still didn't feel like talking to anyone. He had said a few words, mostly to Sammy, and Bobby when they were there, but not really to anyone else.

He sat by the window, his brother asleep on the bed. The snow had begun to fall outside. The sun was going down, and the moon had just started showing itself. It was the third night their dad was gone. It would have been okay, he had been gone longer, but he said he would be back before then. If he was going to be late, he always called and checked up on them, this time he didn't.

As Dean sat and watched the snow fall, he couldn't help but feel the nagging feeling in the back of his mind, telling him that something was wrong. He had finally made up his mind. He dug through his bag, finding the paper Bobby had given him with his number on it, in case he needed someone to talk to.

After 3 rings the phone was answered.

"Hello?"

"Bbb… Bobby?"

"Yeah? Who is this?"

"Iii… It'sss…. Dddean"

"Dean? Boy, everything okay? It's been awhile since I've heard from you."

"Nnno sir, I don't know where Daddy is"

There was a pause, as Bobby registered what the boy was saying. It was never a good thing when a hunter went missing, especially if they had left small children behind.

"Okay, boy, tell me where you are"

"I don't know"

"Do you see anything with a town name on it? Maybe a pamphlet or something?"

"Yes sir"

"Okay, I want you to go get it"

Dean sat the phone down as he gathered the items from the top of the tv

"Do you know how to read?"

"A little, what I learned on tv"

"Okay, do you know your letters?"

"Yes sir"

"Tell me what letters you see, spell it out for me"

"I..N..D..I..A..N..A that's one word, G..H..O..S..T.. that's another word, I think that word is 'ghost',"

"Yeah, you're right, boy"

Dean smiled, proud of himself for knowing that, "T..O..U..R..S, is the next word. M..I..S..H..A..W..A..K..A is the last word. This is where Daddy said he was going."

"Okay, that was good, Look you're a few hours from me, are you and your brother okay right now?"

"Yes, sir, but…"

"But, what?"

"There isn't anything left to eat, I've made sure Sammy ate, but there's nothing left now"

"Have you eaten?"

"No sir, not since the cookie I ate when I woke up this morning"

"Okay, boy, you just hang in there, okay? I'll be on my way, and if your daddy shows up, you tell him to stay put."

After making sure he had the motel name and room number, he told Dean the same thing his dad had told him. Don't open the door for anyone except him or his dad. He told him he'd use the special knock that they came up with over the phone. He promised him he'd be there as fast as he could, and that everything would be alright.

Dean hung up the phone, feeling a little better, but still feeling like something was wrong. His dad had told him that the first thing to know about hunting, was to follow your gut feeling, it was never wrong. Dean walked to the window, closed the curtains tight, made sure the door was locked and all the salt lines were in place. He curled up on the bed next to his sleeping brother, he had his knife sitting beside him.

Something was scaring him, he didn't know what it was, but it felt really bad. He just hoped Bobby hurried up, he didn't like the feeling that was overwhelming him. It wasn't the fact they were alone, he had gotten used to that, and it didn't scare him as long as he had Sammy, this feeling was something completely different.

He wouldn't be able to sleep, he sat on the bed, between his brother and the door. He got up a few times, to make sure the curtain was closed completely, that there weren't any gaps that anyone could see through. Then, he'd return to his brother's side, only to repeat the actions again, checking out the peek hole in the door, to make sure everything was okay. He'd pulled a chair to the door so he could stand on it and look out. He had everything in place so he could keep an eye on his surroundings, he was protected with the only weapon he had, the knife Bobby had given him.

He sat on the bed, with his back against the wall, his knees pulled to his chest with his arms wrapped tightly around them. He hoped his brother would stay asleep all night, as much as he would love his company right now, he also had a feeling that he just needed to stay asleep, to stay quiet. Dean's little hands trembled with the fear that was threatening to overtake him. He sniffled away a tear that traced down his little cheek.

He had found himself not wanting his dad, not hoping he would come home. But, instead he was longing for Bobby. He was wishing he had called him sooner so they could already be with him, safe. He would keep them safe, he knew it. Bobby was the first person; the only person Dean had ever trusted completely. And right now, with this feeling that was building inside him, he needed someone he could trust to keep them safe. And, something was telling him, his dad wasn't that person, not right now.

Dean kept an eye on the door, like he was expecting it to open and someone to walk in, which was crazy, because even though his dad had a room key, he had locked the chain and deadbolt too, so even if he unlocked the door, he still couldn't get in. But, Dean couldn't keep his eyes off the door. The only time he drew his eyes away was when he, shakenly, got off the bed to recheck the curtains and salt lines, and look through the peek hole, quickly returning to his spot on the bed.

The seconds ticked by like years. Time seemed to slow down, and stand still. The fear that had filled such a small body was threatening to make him nauseous, he fought back the need to vomit, he couldn't leave his brother, not for something as silly as that. Besides, he didn't have anything in his stomach anyhow, so it was just a feeling, there wasn't anything to come up even if he tried.

He had long forgotten about the hunger that was overwhelming him just hours ago. It had been replaced with this unfamiliar, uneasy feeling. He didn't like the feeling, wished it would go away, but knew it wouldn't not until Bobby got there.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Dean froze, he waited, another simple knock followed a minute later. It wasn't the knock Bobby said he would use. He snuck off the bed, knife in hand, and quietly crawled on the chair to look out the hole in the door. There, in front of him, stood his dad, or what looked like his dad.

His insides were screaming at him, something told him this wasn't Dad. Dean made his way back to the bed. If this was Dad why wasn't he using his key? Even if the other locks were secured, he would have at least tried to use his key, especially since he would have thought the boys were both asleep at this time of the night.

Another knock, "Dean, oh Dean, it's Daddy, open the door"

Dean froze again, something didn't sound right, first he wouldn't have called himself Daddy. Even when he drank with the adults and smelled funny and couldn't walk straight, he didn't call himself 'Daddy'. And, they also had a secret knock, so after trying the key, and failing, he would have used the secret knock, but he didn't do either.

"Dean! You're going to piss me off! Open this damn door now!" His voice was getting louder. "I know you're in there, you and that little brother of yours, so open the damn door!"

The loud noises woke Sammy, and Dean covered his mouth before he could cry or make a sound.

"Shhh, shhhh, Sammy, you have to be quiet" Dean whispered as he picked his brother up with his spare hand and positioned themselves between the bed and the wall. He had them curled in the corner, surrounded by the pillows off the bed and covered with the blankets. Dean had his brother in his lap, still covering his mouth. His knife laid beside him.

"Sammy, I know you won't understand, but something is wrong, okay? You gotta trust me. We can't open the door, okay? I need you to be very, very quiet and go back to sleep. Bobby's on his way, and he's going to take us to his house, we just gotta wait till he gets here, it won't be long, just go back to sleep"

Dean was whispering as quietly as he could. He didn't want the man who called himself Daddy to hear him talking. Sam nodded his head, he was still half asleep anyhow, and he cuddled into his brother's arms, pressing his head into his chest as he closed his eyes and fell back asleep.

Dean let out a breath he had been holding. His brother would be quiet, at least for now. He uncovered his mouth, holding the knife in his shaking hand. He held his little brother tightly. The banging on the door only got louder, the shouts for him to open the door was ringing through his head. The overwhelming fear kept the tears from being controlled. He had sat the knife back down, covered his brother's head and held his hand against the ear that wasn't pressed into his chest. The last thing he needed right now was for Sammy to wake up from the noise, and start crying.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Changing Lights of the Rainbow**

Chapter 2

The banging on the door didn't take long to wake little Sammy back up. He woke up scared, crying. Dean rocked him back and forth "shh, shhh, Sammy, shhhhh" he repeated over and over. He buried the baby's face in his chest to muffle the cries. He could tell his little brother was trying to be quiet, he was trying to do what his big brother asked, but he wasn't very successful.

"STOP! JUST GO AWAY!" Dean screamed at the man behind the door.

"Then open the damn door!" the voice called back.

"You're not my daddy, go away"

"Then who the hell do you think I am, boy? You've lost your damn mind! Open the damn door before I beat your ass!"

Dean sat in the corner, rocking his brother, holding him tight with trembling hands. Tears were running down both of their faces. Fear gripping their souls tight.

The man continued banging on the door, Dean could see it was starting to move, the man, who called himself 'dad' was starting to beat the door in. Dean had to think fast. He wasn't very good at the whole hunting thing, he hadn't been on any hunts yet, the only thing he knew was what his dad had told him. And, his dad had told him, one time, he hunted something that had made itself look like someone else. Dean wasn't sure if that's what was beating down his door, but he knew for sure something didn't feel right, and that wasn't his dad.

He quickly darted his eyes around the room, looking for a safer place to hide, to protect Sammy. He grabbed the blankets and pillows and ran into the bathroom with his brother. He also grabbed his sippy cup that he had already filled with juice. He placed a bundle of blanket on the bottom of the bathtub, surrounded the edge with the pillows and put Sammy in the middle of it, wrapping the other cover around him, covering him, but being sure he left a breathing hole.

He handed his sippy cup to him before covering his head. "Sammy, I need you to stay in here, okay? No matter what happens, you need to be as quiet as you can. That man, he's not our dad, he's a bad man, and you need to stay right here, and stay safe, I'll protect you, I promise. Okay?"

Sammy nodded his head and Dean finished covering him with the cover and closed the shower curtain to hide him a little better.

"I gotta go out and protect you, I'm going to lock the door, you need to stay quiet and don't open it for no one." Dean added as he walked away, quickly locking the bathroom door and closing it behind him.

The banging increased, and when he walked out of the bathroom he noticed the door was almost broken down. The man kept yelling at Dean, telling him to open the door.

Dean hesitated, darting his eyes around the room one last time. He debated hiding in the corner again, but was too scared to leave his brother. He was afraid, if he hid, he would leave Sammy vulnerable. He didn't have much time to make up his mind, the moment he decided to stand guard at the bathroom door, the front door came crashing in. A man, who looked and sounded like his dad stood in the opened doorway.

"Now, you're going to get it, boy!"

The man stomped toward the scared boy.

He stood still, like a statue, standing his ground. He wasn't going to allow this man to take him down without a fight. He had a job to do, he had a brother to protect.

"Go away!" Dean yelled, "You're not my daddy! Go away!"

The man gave a malicious smile, his eyes turning darker the closer he moved toward Dean.

"Oh, Dean. You just don't get it, do you? I'm your dad, the only dad you'll ever have! And, I'm going to kill you, then I'm going to find that little snot nosed brother of yours and put him in the ground right beside you."

Dean balled his hands into a fist, even though they were shaking, there was no way anyone was going to hurt his brother!

"You gotta go through me first, and that'll never happen! NO ONE is going to hurt my brother!"

The man just laughed, "Oh, don't worry, I fully intend on going through you, first, and, I intend on enjoying every moment of it."

The man grabbed Dean by his shoulders, his strength was stronger than anything he had ever felt before. He let out a small whimper of fear as the man tossed him into the wall beside him.

Not giving the young boy a chance to protect himself, he took his boot to his small rib cage, causing another small whimper, this time from the pain. The man knelt beside Dean, smiling what could only be described as an evil smile. "Having fun yet? Because, I am." The man said as he threw a fist, striking the small, shivering face that laid before him.

Dean threw his hands up, covering his face and head, he rolled his knees to his chest, in an attempt to protect his body and ribs. The man grabbed Dean's ankle, pulling him out of his ball against the wall, leaving him laying flat, and opened to attack, in the middle of the floor.

"No, please" Dean begged as another fist made its way to his fragile body.

Out of pure rage, the man stood, he swung his arm, letting his hand come into contact with the tv and everything that sat on the dresser, causing it to crash to the floor. Dean jumped, and whimpered away, pressing his body against the nearby bed. The man grabbed the boy again, throwing him against the wall beside the broken-down door.

His body fell to the floor in a boneless, lifeless, hump. The only movement that came from the boy was the uncontrolled trembling of his body. He could taste the coper taste of blood filling his mouth. He could feel the pain inflicted on his body. His whole body ached, he wanted it to stop. He wanted Bobby, he wanted his dad, his real dad.

"Where's Daddy?" He asked with a shaky voice, as the man grabbed his face, pulling his head off the floor to look at him.

"I'm all you've got now, boy"

"NO! I don't believe you, I want my daddy, my real daddy"

A slap hit his face so hard it knocked his head out of the man's hand. Tears were streaming down his little face. He knew Bobby was on his way, but he didn't know how long he would take. 'All I have to do is hold on, wait until Bobby gets here, he'll help us' Dean told himself. He had a blinding faith in Bobby, something he hadn't felt with anyone else.

"It's just you" a punch to his ribs, "me", another punch to his ribs, "and your snot nosed little brother" another punch to the ribs. "That's all there is" The man grabbed Dean's arm, twisting it until the boy cried out loud in pain. He was sure it was broken, if not, then it sure felt like it was. But, he didn't care, as long as Sammy was safe, that's all he cared about. He hadn't heard anything from his brother. He could only imagine how scared he was, how badly he needed his big brother to comfort him. But, Dean knew he couldn't stay with him, he wouldn't have been able to protect him if they were together.

The man grabbed Dean by his throat, pulling his body up, against the wall, until his feet were dangling in the air. He wasn't able to breathe. He tried to fight, grabbed at the man's hands and arms, trying to pull him away, even if just a little, just enough to let him take a breath. His face was feeling flush, his chest felt like it was on fire. His eyes were feeling heavy and his vision was going dark. The only thing he could hear, was ringing in his ears. He was sure, the man was throwing punches at his body as he dangled in his grip, but he couldn't be completely sure, his body was going numb.

He looked at the man, with pleading eyes. He could see his mouth move, but couldn't hear anything he was saying. He figured this was the end. This must be what death feels like. He wondered if this is what his mom felt before she died.

He didn't feel himself fall to the floor, didn't hear the commotion that took place around him. He wasn't completely sure if his eyes ever closed, but he couldn't see anything either way. He wasn't able to concentrate on what was going on, wasn't able to hear anything but the ringing in his head.

"Kid, kid" He thought he was dreaming, it was a muffled sound. Were those hands he was feeling, arms holding him? He… he could breath. He wasn't hanging from the wall anymore. Where was he? What had happened? He as on the ground, laying on the ground. His head, it hurt, it hurt bad, but, it was laying in someone's arms, laying against someone's chest. It felt warm. He could hear the beating of a heart. Was that his heart? Or the warm chest his ear was pressed against?

There was a gentle, yet strong, hand brushing through his hair, wiping the wild strands out of his face.

"Hey, there, you back with me now?" The voice was clearer, it sounded… it sounded familiar. It wasn't dad. Dad… something was… something was wrong… with Dad… this wasn't Dad, this was someone else, someone who felt familiar.

He buried his head deeper into the warm, protective body that was holding him.

"Hey, come on, I need you to wake up, I need you to focus on me, okay? We gotta figure out what's going on here."

Dean wiggled a little, pain shot through his body, pain he wasn't expecting. He drew in a sharp breath and grasped the man that was holding him, one hand wrapped itself into his shirt, the other grabbed tight around his arm.

"All right, its all right, I know it hurts. We'll get you fixed up, don't you worry about that. But, I need to know, where's your brother? Dean, where's Sam?"

Sam? What does he mean where's Sam? Why does everyone want to know where his brother was? Where's Sam? Sam was hiding. Hiding from…Dad? He was safe. Dean was supposed to be keeping him safe. He can't keep him safe laying on the ground. He needed to have Sammy wrapped in his arms the way Dean was being wrapped in arms. But, who's arms?

"Dean, where's Sam?"

Dean's eyes flew opened as he jerked his body out of the arms that held him tight. Pain instantly overwhelmed his body and he collapsed against the man in front of him.

"Hey, hey, take it easy, boy"

Dean wasn't able to stay up long, but his eyes were opened long enough he could see the man in front of him, the one that was soothing and protecting him.

"Bbb…Bobby… is…. Is that you?"

"Yeah, kid, it's me."

"Thhh… that's not Dad"

"No, that man wasn't your dad, but don't you worry about him, I took care of it, now, where's your brother? I gotta make sure he's safe."

"Hhhe's safe. I kept him safe"

"I know you did, I don't doubt that one bit, but we need to get you two out of here, and fast"

"thhh… the bathroom. Told him not to open door"

"Okay, I'm going to lay you back on the floor.."

Dean grabbed Bobby's arm out of fear

"It's okay, I won't be gone long, I'll be right back" he laid Dean on the floor, "I'm going to go get Sammy, so we can get the hell out of here and find your daddy. There's going to be some loud noises. If you told him not to open the door, I'm going to need to break it down. Is he near the door?"

Dean shook his head, "Tub"

"Okay, good boy" Bobby said, patting Dean's shoulder and stood, quickly making his way to the door. Each crash of the door caused Dean to jump, but it only took 3 tries and Bobby had the door laying on the floor. Another moment later, he had a bundle of blankets that contained a scared little boy inside them.

He sat Sam next to Dean. "Stay right here, don't move. I'm gonna grab your stuff, then we need to get out of here."

Bobby hurried, grabbing their belongings, making sure not to leave any personal evidence behind. The last thing they needed was for someone to find out they were there. He grabbed Sam first, Dean, I'm going to put your brother in my truck, I'll be right back for you. He didn't bother buckling the baby boy, he hurried back inside, quickly grabbing the broken boy laying in front of him, and rushed out to the truck.

Dean couldn't hold back the moans of pain that escaped his lips. But he knew he needed to be moved. He knew Bobby was there to help, to protect them. Bobby squealed his tires as he hurried away from the place that caused the boys so much pain and so much fear.

Dean didn't ask where they were going, he didn't ask what had happened, he just held his brother tightly, bracing his body against the door, feeling the coolness of the window against his tear-soaked face, keeping his unwavering faith in the man who had rescued them from the man that appeared to be their dad.


	3. Chapter 3

**The Changing Lights of the Rainbow**

Chapter 3

The smell wasn't the same. Instead of a musky, moldy smell there was a smell of lemons and cleaner. It felt soft underneath him. Soft and comfortable, and safe. It felt safe. He wasn't sure why, but he felt safe. He wasn't even sure why he wouldn't feel safe.

Where was he? Who was he? What was going on? Far too many questions and no answers. Why was it so dark? He couldn't see anything. There was a sound, a sound of… beeping? Was that beeping? And maybe a muffled... something? or maybe someone? Beeping and muffling. What were those sounds? Something touching him? Someone?

Soft, safe, lemon cleaner, beeping, muffles, touch. This should seem familiar. He should know what's going on. But, he doesn't. And, its still dark. He tried to blink his eyes, realizing they were closed. Maybe that's why its still dark? Maybe he needs to open his eyes.

He tries. It feels like he's lifting heavy weights. Its still dark. He's not sure if his eyes were opened or closed. He couldn't tell. He couldn't feel anything. He couldn't hear anything anymore either. He still felt the softness, as it drifted away and his mind became blank.

Again, he heard the beeping, felt the softness under him. He must have fallen asleep, or passed out. Either way, he still wasn't sure where he was. The lemon smell was back. The darkness was back. His eyes, they were closed, again. He needed to do something. What was it? A job? A chore? He wasn't sure, couldn't remember. What was it he needed to do? It was important, but he just couldn't seem to remember.

The muffling sounds were back. It sounded like… like… voices? Who? What? Why? He couldn't remember.

"SAMMY!" Dean's eyes shot opened and his body flew into a seated position.

Instantly, regretting the quick movement. Pain shot through his entire body, his head throbbed, the dizziness made the vomit rise in the back of his throat.

"Whoa, whoa there, kiddo, take it slow"

Dean looked up, "Bobby?"

He squinted his eyes, had a confused look on his face.

Bobby rested his hand on his shoulder, gently pushing him back to a laying position.

"Dee!" His little brother ran up to him, jumped on the bed, and gave his brother a big squeeze.

"Ow!" Dean tried to hold in the pain, but, it didn't seem to work.

"s'rry" Sam dropped his eyes and lowered his head

"Hey, buddy, it's okay, no big deal." Dean gave Sammy a big smile, letting him know everything was okay. He wrapped his arms around his little brother, as he laid his little head on Dean's chest, happy to have his brother back.

Bobby sat beside the bed, giving a slight rub to Sammy's head as the little one began to fall asleep laying in the arms of his brother.

"You remember what happened?"

Dean wrinkled his forehead, letting the last events he remembered run through his head. "I… I think so… Dad?"

"I still haven't found him yet, but don't you worry, I will"

Dean nodded his head, "That wasn't Daddy, was it?"

"No, son, that was a shapeshifter, they shift their bodies into whatever they want. Including other people."

"Dad?"

"Yeah, even your dad. I think what happened was he got his hands on your old man, and shifted into him. The thing is, he probably has your daddy tied up somewhere, they have a home, usually in a hidden place, like a cellar or drain pipes underground. So we just gotta figure out where it lived and we should find your dad."

"Then, why are you here?"

"Looking after you boys"

"You should be looking for Dad"

"I gotta make sure you're okay, first."

"I'm fine, go find Dad"

"Well, demanding, aren't we?" Bobby said with a chuckle, "Kinda reminds me of your old man."

"Please, Bobby, you need to go find him. Please." Dean's weak, begging voice broke through Bobby's heart.

"Okay, okay."

The nurse walked in at that point, "Well, look who's awake, hey there little man, how you feeling?"

"Peachy" Dean said with a grin.

The nurse took his vitals and checked him over.

"How's the kid doing?" Bobby asked.

"Looks like he's doing good, he's healing right up"

"Good, hey, I need to run out, grab some things, do you think it would be okay if they stayed here alone for a little while?"

"I'll take care of Sammy" Dean chimed in

The nurse smiled, "Yeah, I think your nephews will be just fine for a little while" the nurse smiled again and walked out of the room.

"Nephews?" Dean asked Bobby,

"Uh, yeah, I had to tell them something, so if anyone asks, I'm your uncle Bobby, Oh and by the way, your last names are Singer, got it?"

"Yes sir" Dean said with a nod. He knew the rules of hunting, the first one was you needed to be a good liar, not everyone can handle the truth.

"I'll be back soon, hopefully with your old man" Bobby patted Dean on the shoulder and walked out the room.

Dean held his brother a little tighter, "It'll be okay, Sammy." He whispered to the sleeping baby.

The nurses came and went through out the day. Sammy stayed on Dean's bed, he refused to leave his brother's side. Dean was just fine with that, as long as he could feel him, then he could rest, knowing his little brother was safe. The day became long, more than what Dean thought he could handle. His body was aching. He wasn't sure what his injuries were, no one really told him. Everyone usually thinks he's too young to understand anything.

The cops came, asking questions. Dean didn't answer anything. He refused to speak to anyone except Sammy, and that was just quiet whispers. Dean wasn't told what to tell them if they asked, and he wasn't old enough to think of a good lie himself, so he basically just made them assume he didn't remember anything that happened.

It wasn't a complete lie he reasoned with himself. He really wasn't sure exactly what had all happened, and he was sure there were moments, details, that he didn't remember, or was possibly unconscious for. And Sammy, he didn't know anything either. Dean had made sure of that. He kept him hidden in the bathroom, where he couldn't see anything and would be safe. Besides, he was too young to answer questions anyhow.

He wished Uncle Bobby would hurry up and come back. He wished Dad would come back. He was scared. He would never admit it, that would be the same as admitting weakness, and he knew he couldn't do that. So, this fear he felt, it would be his little secret.

He could tell the nurses were getting concerned that the boys were still alone. And, the fact that Dean was hurting, but refused anything for pain. He said he had to wait for Uncle Bobby, so he could take care of Sammy. He said they made his too sleepy and he needed to be able to wake up, to take care of his brother, because that's his job. Of course, that didn't go over well with his nurse, but they also didn't question too much, mostly because Dean wouldn't answer their questions anyhow.

He was getting tired, the pain was building up, sending him to the point of broken tears. He just wanted something to take the pain away, and sleep. Sleep was good. He had dozed off and on all day, especially when Sammy curled himself into Dean's side. But, it wasn't good enough, he needed real sleep, he felt an exhaustion stronger than he had ever felt before.

He heard some muffled sounds outside the door, loud enough it woke Sammy. But, he couldn't make out what they were saying. The voices got louder as they entered the room.

"Yes, Mr. Singer, you were right, your nephew is awful shy, wouldn't hardly even talk to me"

Bobby and the nurse had walked into the room. She gave Dean a smile, "Maybe, now that you're back the kid will take something for that pain. I know he's gotta be hurting"

Bobby nodded at her and she approached Dean, "Gonna give you something now, okay? It'll take your pain away and make you sleepy"

Dean nodded, not taking his eyes off Bobby.

"U'cl B'bby" Sam mumbled as he reached out for him. It was like the kid knew his brother needed his space and time to heal.

The nurse walked out. Sam saw him first, "DADDY!" he shouted as he squirmed in Bobby's arms and jumped into his dad's

"Dad" Dean whispered with a sigh of relief. His eyes were starting to feel heavy from the medicine, and his body was relaxing by the second, unable to react to what his mind was thinking.

Bobby and John both looked exhausted. They had obviously been in some type of a fight, but they had attempted to clean themselves before returning to the hospital. Bobby suggested they clean themselves better, but John was in a hurry to see his boys.

John had walked to the side of Dean's bed, sitting in a chair that was near. "Hey there, Champ, how you feeling?"

Dean shuffled a few inches away from his dad before he stopped himself, "Dad, is that really you?" he sounded exhausted and scared and in pain.

John brushed his fingers through his son's hair. Sammy remained on his lap, his arms wrapped tightly around his dad's neck. "Yeah, yeah it's me, it's really me."

Dean gave a half crooked smile, and John returned the gesture. "You just rest now, okay? Everything's gonna be alright. I'm okay now, and you boys, you're safe again. So, you just rest and heal up."

"Yes sir" Dean whispered with half closed eyes.

John stood to walk away from his bed, stopped by the sound of his oldest son's voice.

"Dad?" John turned to look at his broken, fragile boy, looking so small in the big hospital bed, surrounded by machines and tubes that were running in and out of him. "W…will" Dean's voice was shaky. He needed to ask, needed to find out, but was scared that it would make him look weak. John raised his eyebrows, waiting for Dean to finish what he was trying to say. "Will…if you don't mind… could you… I don't know… stay… here… with me?... Please?"

Dean's hand was trembling and grasping the covers tightly. His voice increased with shakiness with each word that he spoke. He didn't want to make his dad upset, or have anyone think he was weak, because, damn it, he was not weak. He had protected his brother, saved him. He got the shit beat out of him and he never broke, not completely. He knew, without anyone telling him, that something was wrong, and he did what he had to do to protect his brother. So, the last thing he was, was weak.

But, he was scared. He wasn't sure why. He knew the threat was gone. Bobby had taken care of that, and now, his dad was back, safe, uninjured. Or, at least, there weren't any injuries that Dean could see. He just wanted that extra sense of security. The security his dad brought. But, he didn't need it. No way would he ever need anything like that, or anyone, but wants and needs are two different things. This was a want. If Dad said no, that would be okay, he would be okay.

"Yeah, sure, Buddy," John turned to Bobby, "Hey, do you mind watching Sammy for me tonight? He shouldn't be any problem, but if he is, just give me a call and I'll come get him. I'm sure you both could use a good night's sleep in an actual bed."

Bobby nodded. He wasn't too sure about watching the little squirt, but Dean did it all the time, so if a 6 year old could take care of him then he should be able to too. John explained to Sammy that Dean needed his rest and that he needed to stay with him, that Uncle Bobby would protect him and make sure he was taken care of. He explained that when they got done sleeping, Bobby would bring him back.

"Daddy!" Sam started crying, grasping his dad's neck tighter. He didn't want to let him go.

"Dad" Dean sounded weaker than before, "it's okay, you should stay with Sammy, I'll be fine here" He gave a weak smile that barely curled the corners of his mouth, his eyes less than half opened. The exhaustion of the day mixed with the meds were starting to take full effect. He wasn't sure how much longer he'd be able to fight sleep.

"You sure, Champ?"

Dean nodded his head. Or, at least, he thinks he did. The numbness that was taking over his body was making it hard for him to figure out if his body actually moved or not. But, at least he couldn't feel the pain, and that's all that really mattered.

John took a moment to look at his son, really look at him. He handed Sam to Bobby, assuring him he just needed to go tell Dean good bye and he'd be right back. He walked to his son's side, wiping his fingers through his hair and brushing away the stray strands that had stuck to his forehead. Dean looked up at his dad, his eyes were tired, and filled with what looked to be a mixture of pain and fear.

"You're the bravest boy I know" John said quietly, "thank you, for taking care of your brother. I'm so proud of you." He wasn't usually the emotional type, but right now, he couldn't help it. He would have been okay if he had not made it out alive. Losing his life wasn't the problem, the thing is, he almost lost his boys. That wasn't acceptable. He needed to protect them, and to think, if not for Dean's natural instincts and quick reactions he could have lost them both.

"You sure you're okay with me leaving with Sammy?"

Dean nodded his head, "He needs you"

"Okay, you look like you're about to pass out anyhow. I'll be back first thing in the morning. If you need anything at all, you have the nurses call Bobby, okay?"

"Yes sir" Dean said with a small nod, again he wasn't sure if he actually moved his head or not. His eyes slipped shut. John remained, watching the numbers on the monitor even out. An indication that his son was asleep and appeared to be, for the most part, pain free.

Before leaving, he made sure the night nurse had the numbers they could be reached at. He assured them they were going to get a nearby motel, give the baby a place to sleep and all of them a warm shower, and they would be back as soon as they woke.

John gave his oldest son another long look before walking out of the room. When had the youngster become so grown? When did his age stop reflecting the oldness of his soul? He let out a silent sigh, knowing, this would be another turning point in the boy's life, that he would never be the same after experiencing an attack from the supernatural.


	4. Chapter 4

**The Changing Lights of the Rainbow**

Chapter 4

The night was long. Even with medicine induced sleep it seemed long, and lonely. The medication didn't keep all the pain away, his body still ached, his mind seemed to run nonstop. He was starting to feel the walls of the room close around him. He was restless, needing an escape from the craziness that seemed to be running through his being.

"Dad!"

It seemed way too late, he wished his dad would have come earlier. He wouldn't have felt so restless and lonely.

"Hey there, Ace, you doing okay?"

"Yes sir!"

John rubbed his hand down his son's arm, giving him the gentle touch, needed to calm him son.

"Dad, when can I get out of here?"

John chuckled. It seemed to be the hunter's way, to avoid hospitals like the plague. They had a tight alibi, but Dean still didn't feel right being there. He wasn't sure why. He didn't know much about the hunting life, he was only going off his gut instinct.

"Well, son, you still have a lot of healing to do."

"Can't I do that some place else? Like at Bobby's?"

"Do you know what your injuries are?"

"No sir"

"Okay, well you have a few broken ribs, that's what's causing the pain in your chest area. Also, there's a lot of bruising, on your insides. And outside, plus you have a fractured arm, that's why you have that cast on, also your shoulder has some stuff that's on the inside, like muscles and things that hold your bones together, they are like a rubber band, they stretch when you need to use them then go back to being tight again, but yours, right now, is like an old worn out rubber band and it's all stretched out, but, if you give it time to heal then it'll go back to being a regular rubber band again."

"Doesn't sound like anything that can't heal at Bobby's"

John, chuckled again, rubbing the top of Dean's head, "that's my boy!"

"So, we can go then?"

"Let's wait a little while, wait for the doctor, see what he says, then I'll spring you outta here, but, you can't tell anyone, got it?"

"Yes sir!"

They sat in silence, watched some old black and white movie on the tv that hung from the wall. Dean slept and John napped in the chair. John had ordered his son not to refuse any medication, that he would need all he could get if he was going to be leaving. So, Dean took the medicine that made him sleepy and feel funny.

When the doctor finally made his rounds and stopped in Dean's room, he only had good things to say. He was impressed with the strength the boy was showing. He was healing as expected, but of course, still had healing to do. With any luck he'd be going home in a week or so. As far as he knew, the police were still looking for the men who attacked him.

John thanked him, assured him he had the utmost faith in the officers working the case.

"Dad" Dean whispered after the doctor left, "what if the cops come back?"

"What did you tell them already?"

"I told them I didn't remember anything"

"Okay, good boy, now how about we work on getting you out of here?"

Dean gave his dad a smile, accepting the clothes he handed him to change into. The nurses had just made their rounds, it would be another 2 hours before they were back. John checked the hallway, making sure it was clear. He was thankful his son's room was near the stairs. They hurried out and down the first flight of stairs, then made their way to the elevators, finding their way out the front door and to their car.

John knew the adventure out of the hospital was exhausting for his boy, and figured his body was filled with pain. He only wished he was able to gather medication before they left the hospital. But, he would come up with something to help his son's pain. The boy never complained. No matter what situation he finds himself in he never complains.

Dean laid in the back seat, resting while his dad drove. Bobby had already headed out, back to his house with little Sammy. John stayed to rescue his son from the 4 walls that surrounded him. John kept an eye on his boy, glancing in the rear view mirror more than he watched the road ahead of him. Dean kept asleep for the first half of the trip, then his sleep became restless. John figured the pain medicine was starting to wear off. Dean woke, watching his dad through the mirror

"Hey there, Champ, how you feeling?"

"Okay"

Dean's voice was low, quiet, barely there. His eyes looked heavy, only half opened. His body, curled into a loose ball on the back seat. His little hands gripped at the cover his dad had placed over him. Breaths coming in short, heavy pants.

"You hurting?"

"I'm okay"

"I didn't ask if you was okay, I asked if you were hurting"

"Yes sir" Dean replied, dropping his eyes from the mirror, like he was ashamed of his answer.

"Not too much longer, boy, we're almost to Bobby's. Then, you can rest more comfortably, and hopefully he'll have something to help with that pain."

Dean closed his eyes, trying to block out the world. Willing his feelings to go away, to become numb.

'Way too young' John thought to himself. 'This boy is way too young to be hiding his pain, his emotions. He's way too young to have the instincts and understanding that he has.'

John looked back at this oldest son, he remembered the little, bouncy haired boy that would jump into his arms. The little boy who enjoyed sitting on the counter, beside the sink, and help his mom make cookies and cakes. He always hugged on his mom and dad. He was always such a good, bright kid. He was so in tune with everything around him.

He remembered when he and Mary got into a fight. He moved out, into a motel room, for a couple of days until they could work it out. Once he came back home, Mary told him about little Dean. She told him the boy didn't leave her side, that he stepped up and took John's place when it came to taking care of Sammy. She explained how she was never alone, never a single parent, not with Dean around. He even told her everything would be okay, and reassured her that John still loved her.

Now that Mary was gone, Dean had stepped up to take her place. He was taking over her part of caring for Sammy. He was telling his dad that everything would be okay. He was telling him, he didn't blame him for any of this. That he understood, and still loved him. He was telling his dad that he would be okay, that he would heal and everything would be back the way it was before.

The worst thing is, the kid believed it. He believed that everything would be okay. That, everything would be back the way it was. He hadn't shown any real emotions toward the events that happened. Sure, when no one was around, he was scared, and he showed it. While the man who wasn't his dad banged the door down, he couldn't hold back the tears. But, no one knew about any of that. No one saw it.

He was asleep when they made it to Bobby's house. John carried Dean inside, even though he woke during it, he didn't set him down. He couldn't. John needed Dean to be little again, as much as Dean needed to be treated like he was. He was so small, laying in the arms of his dad. He was so fragile, so broken. He curled himself into his dad's arms, resting his face against his chest. He embraced the warmth of his dad, if even just for a moment, he felt the father he used to know.

John tucked the boys in bed, together. They were in need of each other's closeness. That's what they were used to. John made sure they were both safe and sleeping before making his way down to the kitchen, where Bobby sat at the table. He was nursing a beer, and had another sitting in front of an empty chair across from him. John sat in the chair that was intended for him, opening the beer that was long overdue.

"I just don't know what to do" John admitted, quietly

"About what?" Bobby questioned

"How do I keep my boys safe with so much danger out there?"

John was still new to the whole hunting lifestyle. Sure, some hunters had figured out how to survive one way or another, he knew he would too, but it would take some time and guidance.

"Dean's the toughest kid I know" Bobby admitted after a long silence. "He may be young, but he's as smart as a whip, he's one hell of a protector when it comes to that brother of his."

John nodded, agreeing with Bobby's statement.

"I'm sure that kid'll have no problem figuring out how to keep 'em safe if anything were to happen again."

"That's the problem," John confessed, "Dean would protect his brother with his life, that I have no doubt of, but how am I going to make sure Dean stays safe?"

"I'm not sure if that's possible."

John gave a huff, not liking that answer

"You see" Bobby continued, "you're right, he would protect his brother with his life, so, he'll only see two options when facing danger. He'll either have to give his life to protect Sammy, or, no matter what injuries or danger he may face, he'll fight through it, he'll stay alive, because he has to. That's the only way he can continue to protect his brother, is if he survives through anything, which is always going to be his first option, the other option, would only become a possibility if he has no other choice."

John nodded, thinking hard about what Bobby had said. He knew it was true, knew Dean would do anything to protect his family.

"Has he said anything to you, about me?" John questioned

"Not sure what you mean"

"I mean, it was a shapeshifter, someone who looked and talked like me who hurt him. I'm not sure what the kid thinks, if he's scared, or even understands that it wasn't me"

"He understands and he's not scared. That boy called me before the shifter ever showed up at the door. He's got one hell of a hunter's sense. He told me he felt like something wasn't right. It was like the boy knew something was going to happen. He said he was scared, sure, but that's because he was afraid of the unknown, he was afraid of what he felt. But, he knew it wasn't you. That I know for sure. We've talked about it, and his only concern was that I find you, make sure you were safe. Somehow, the boy just knows."

Again, all John could do was nod.

"I need to teach him how to protect himself" John stated, speaking only partly to Bobby, but mostly to himself. "In case anything was to happen again."

"Can't say I disagree with that. It's probably the only way you'll be sure the boy would stay safe, I mean there's always all kinds of danger out there. Some of it supernatural, some of it not."

"Yeah, I know, but, I never thought either of my boys would face such danger, especially at such a young age."

"And, I think that oldest boy of yours proved that he's got one hell of an instinct for danger, and knows how to protect his brother, and himself. You know, it could have been a lot worse, somehow, I think he figured out how to protect himself from the damage that shifter could have done to him."

"Yeah, you're right. Can't say I disagree."

John swallowed the bottom of his bottle, pushing himself away from the table. He dropped his bottle in the trash, pausing for a moment before moving through the room.

"I need to go check on them, then try to get some shut eye. I'm sure Dean will be up later, in pain, and, I'm not sure what to do for him, I don't have anything to give him, we didn't exactly leave under doctor's orders."

"Well, we had already discussed how you were gonna get him out of there, lemme see what I have in the medicine box"

John followed Bobby into another room. Bobby dug through an old metal box that contained bottles of medication.

"I ain't got nothing for kids, but I figure, if you split it in half, or whatever he needs, and crush it in some food or drink, then that'll work just fine." Bobby said as he handed John a bottle of pain meds. "Those are the weakest, real pain meds, that I got"

"Thank you, Bobby, I appreciate everything you've done for me and my boys"

"No problem, something about those boys of yours, they're real special, don't you ever forget that"

John nodded with a smile, followed by a yawn. He gathered some apple sauce to put the medicine in later and headed upstairs. The room the boys were in had two single beds. The boys were asleep in one, and John took the other. He closed his eyes, allowing sleep to overcome him almost instantly. He felt safe, knew his boys felt safe. More than that, he knew they were safe. And that was the most comfortable feeling a father could have.


	5. Chapter 5

**The Changing Lights of the Rainbow**

Chapter 5

Dean seemed to heal in record time. Or, at least he said he was. He didn't complain of any pain after the first night at Bobby's. He wanted to stay strong for his dad. He knew his dad needed him to be as strong as he could, and he wouldn't disappoint.

The best day of Dean's life, so far, was when his dad asked Bobby to watch Sammy. It was just him and his dad. The way it used to be. They went out to an open field. There were already targets set up, everything was prepared prior to their arrival. John had the day planned ahead of time.

Dean's face lit up with excitement when he learned his dad was going to teach him how to shoot a gun. He explained that he needed to know how to protect himself, in order to protect Sammy. Dean was happy to have a new way to protect them.

When they returned to Bobby's John couldn't stop glowing. He rambled on about how great Dean was, how proud he was of him.

"You should have seen him, Bobby, he was a natural! He shot everyone of those cans off the barrels and hit bullseye every damn time. He's got some real talent. You would have been proud! I know I sure as hell am!"

Dean just listened to his dad as they both beamed with pride.

The days turned into weeks. The weeks into months. The months into years. Not much had changed. They left Bobby's, moved from place to place, like they had done before the shifter attacked them. Only, now, Dean knew how to better protect them. As his dad learned new things about the monsters he hunted, he taught them to Dean. If he was going to keep himself and his brother safe, he needed to know what types of bullets to use, or what weapon worked on what monster.

John became determined to not let anything hurt his boys again. He was determined that Dean would know how to fight, shoot, and use a knife. He needed to be strong, and fast.

He figured, the boy had a lot of pinned up energy that needed released, and the best way to do that would be in training. Dean didn't ever complain. He would sit in a motel room for days, without ever seeing the outside, doing nothing but taking care of his brother.

John start noticing small things with Dean, even though he never complained, he still had his signs that he had too much built up energy. He would sit on the edge of the bed and bounce his knees, he seemed to constantly change positions or seats, the thing he did the most, was he never seemed to keep his hands still. He was always finding something to wrap his fingers in, or would wring his hands together. He would find himself grasping the bed, or seat, beneath him and letting it go, just to grasp it again.

He actually seemed relieved when John told him he was going to start training. He would even volunteer to train as much as he could. Of course, when John was gone on a hunt, Dean had to stay inside, with Sammy. But, when John was home, he would have Dean run, it started with just small runs, but Dean wasn't happy with that. So, John allowed him to run as much as he wanted, he would keep track of his time, trying to beat it each day. Not only did it help him release energy but it also gave him a break from his little brother.

John taught him how to do proper sit ups and pushups, which he enjoyed doing, especially when his dad was gone. It would give him something to do instead of being bored. When they had some down time, John would find someone to watch Sam and he would take Dean shooting.

He had met a lot of hunters along the way, some of them good, some not so good. A few, like Bobby, remained close friends. They were people John could trust with his kids. Pastor Jim, he was an interesting character, but was a great man. He would pastor a church, speak of God and angels, he talked about faith and protection from the all mighty. But, he also believed in the darkness that haunted the world. He knew his history, that was for sure, and they boys enjoyed learning from him. Most of it seemed to be biblical, but as John had learned, it seemed most fork lures and beliefs seemed to have some type of a biblical background, so it helped to know the information Pastor Jim held inside his brain.

He was a wise, older man, so he didn't mind leaving Sam with him when he took Dean training. In fact, Pastor Jim loved watching the youngest boy. He enjoyed them both, but Sam seemed to soak up every word he would say, and was generally interested, which you didn't find much of in the hunting world. The kid was like a human sponge.

Dean was a respectful boy, he would listen to Jim's lessons too, but he didn't always take everything at face value. He would question a lot. He was more interested in the hands-on learning than sitting and listening to stories, or lessons as Pastor Jim called them. Dean was curious and always found himself in places that he shouldn't be. He seemed to always find something to touch that was off limits.

After learning so much from Pastor Jim, it didn't take Sam long before he had started asking about going to school. He was always interested in learning. Dean didn't have any interest in that world, but John decided, if Sam went to school then Dean had to also. Sure, he pouted around about it, but never actually complained. He decided that it would be okay because he would be there to protect his little brother.

John made up some fake paperwork, saying Dean had been in school with passing grades, the kid should have already been in 3rd grade, but because hunting took too much of John's time he had to take care of Sammy and school wasn't even considered. But, now that the youngest Winchester had gotten older, he wouldn't shut up about going to school and learning everything he could learn. He was five and a half and Sam figured that was old enough to start having friends and a social life, like what he saw on tv.

Dean had taught Sammy everything he knew. He taught him to walk, to talk, his colors, how to count and sort things. He never expected school to be thrown into the equation, but the kid was ready for school when the time came. He had learned everything Dean could have possibly taught him, and was smarter than anyone else in his class. The one thing he wasn't taught, was hunting. Dean and Dad decided it best that he didn't know about that world, not yet anyhow. They needed to protect him, keep him safe from the things that went bump in the night. Dean needed to protect him, not just physically, but emotionally too. He figured it would be too upsetting if he knew the truth.

Dad was a traveling salesman. He worked long hours, sometimes, he had to travel out of state and didn't make it home every night. That was normal to Sam. He had grown up without his dad home every night. But, they had to explain to him that not every family's dad stays gone like there's does. They had to teach him not to tell anyone at school that Dad wasn't home at night. If anyone asked, Uncle Bobby, or Pastor Jim were babysitting them.

The most important lesson they could teach him was how to lie. He didn't like it, but they explained to him that was normal. It was part of their lives. They even managed to use examples from the tv shows he watched, to convince him that it was a normal part of life, and that it wasn't something he went around telling everyone. You didn't announce to the world when you were lying.

"Dad?"

Dean had made his way to the kitchen table, where his dad sat. They had managed to rent a run down apartment for the start of school.

"Shouldn't you be in bed? You start school in the morning."

"Yes sir, I know. But… I was just thinking, are you sure Sammy's ready for that? I mean, we haven't exactly had the most social life, and what if he tells someone that you aren't home most of the time?"

"I don't think he will, Champ. I think he understands the importance of that. And, besides, he doesn't exactly know the truth about everything, so we won't have to worry about him blabbing that all over school. And, his big brother will be there to protect him."

John gave Dean a smile and rubbed his head. Dean just smiled back.

"You going on a hunt?"

"Yeah, I think I am, look, I may not be home when you get back from school. You know the routine. Make sure the salt lines are down, doors and windows are locked. I'll leave you some money, I want you to stop by the store on your way home from school. Once you're home, stay put, don't leave this place until its time for school again. And, whatever you do, make sure you watch out for Sammy."

"Yes sir"

Dean stood and made his way back to his room. That wasn't the conversation he was planning to have with his dad, but that's usually how it always went. The truth was, he was scared, maybe nervous was a better word? Either way, the thought of going to school in the morning had his stomach tied up in knots. Tears threatened to escape his eyes. His chest had a tingling feeling that felt tight.

He curled himself under the covers, hands trembling, breaths were coming in short, fast puffs. He squeezed his eyes closed, as tight as they could go. He would never tell anyone what he was feeling right now, it would be his secret. He would have told his dad, but another hunt consumed his time and conversation. Dean figured that was for the best. He wouldn't want his dad to think he was weak.

Morning came way too early. Sam was bouncing around, excited for the day. Dean didn't seem as excited, in fact he seemed to have no energy at all. He poured Sam a bowl of cereal. The boy couldn't stop talking about everything he expected out of his day, he kept pouring milk and cereal out of his mouth as he talked.

"Would you stop it? You're excited, yeah, we get it, okay? Now eat your cereal and stop making such a big mess!"

Dean's words came out a little harsher than he expected. His stomach still felt like it was still in knots, the last thing he wanted to do was eat, so he made his way back to their room, to dress and ready himself for the day.

John stood shocked at his oldest son's outburst. He gave the boy a few minutes alone in his room before knocking on the door and making his way to his oldest son.

"Everything okay?"

"Yes sir"

"You sure? That was one hell of an outburst, and uncalled for"

"I'm sorry, sir, everything's fine"

John stopped Dean from his shuffling, knelt in front of the boy, placed his hand under his chin and raised his face to look at him. Dean hadn't realized his head was lowered while he was talking to his dad.

"You sure everything is okay?"

Dean shrugged his shoulders. "Just don't feel good, I guess"

"You'll be all right. It's just butterflies in your stomach. Everyone gets nervous their first day of school. Well, everyone except your Brainiac little brother."

Dean chuckled at his dad's comment, giving him a grin.

"It'll be okay, Champ. You've got this! Now, come on, before you boys are late for your first day."

Dean followed Dad out of the room, made sure Sammy was properly dressed and had all his school supplies. Then they loaded into the car. Dean knew this would probably be the only time they went to school like a normal family. Dad driving them, dropping them off for their day of learning. But, the only reason Dad was taking them today is because he had some more paperwork to fill out, and the boys would sit in the office with Dad while he finished. Then, they would be escorted, by school staff, to their class. Late of course, which means everyone would notice them. Everyone would know they were new.

Sam wouldn't mind. He enjoyed the attention. But, the thought of that made the knot in Dean's stomach tighten. He wanted so badly to shout out, to tell his dad he didn't want to go. But, he did what he has always done. He sat quietly in the back seat, beside his brother.

The school was big. Dean wondered if it was haunted and how many people there weren't human. Of course, Sam would never have those thoughts, he didn't know about that stuff yet. Dean was sure the principal wasn't human. Just looking at the old woman, and her dark eyes, made her seem unhuman. She also had a deep voice, like a man. Dean wondered if whatever was using her body couldn't decide if they wanted to be a man or a woman, Dean wasn't entirely sure she was woman either. But, her name said she was. He definitely didn't want to be sent to her office alone.

"Okay, boys, we're all done here. You have a good day at school today, enjoy yourselves. These ladies are going to escort you to your classes."

John's words dug a whole through Dean's chest. He wanted to grab his dad, wrap his arms around him, cry into his chest, beg him not to go, not to make him stay.

Sam was so excited he didn't even hesitate, he jumped from his seat and was half way out the door before the woman could catch up to him, he didn't know where he was going, and honestly he didn't care, he was just excited to be there.

Dean was more hesitant, he slowly raised from his chair, John gave him a small grin and a nod. Dean lowered his head and followed his woman out the door. She tried to make conversation with him while they walked down the hall, but Dean wasn't interested in talking. In fact, he felt like he did the night his mom died, he didn't feel like talking to anyone.

The day drew long for Dean. He didn't make any friends. He didn't really talk to anyone. When the teacher asked him if he would like to tell the class a little about himself he just shook his head no and made his way to his seat. He was used to sitting still, being cooped up in a small room while his dad was gone on a hunt, but this was completely different. He felt like the walls were closing in around him, like all the people in his class were suffocating him. He managed to make it through the day, but was never so thankful when it was over.

Sam, he loved his day. He made friends with everyone he met. He was so full of life. The teacher commented on how smart he was. He loved recess, that was his favorite class. He talked about his day the entire walk home. Which, Dean didn't mind because it kept him from having to mention his day. They stopped by the store like he was instructed, Dean bought the food they would need for the next couple days, then made their way home.

He made sure all his orders were completed. Salt lines were in place, windows and doors were locked. He helped Sam with homework. Fixed them supper. Made sure they both had their baths and were in bed by a decent time. Dean set the alarm clock early enough for school the next day.

Sam was snoring before Dean even had a chance to close his eyes. He curled himself under the covers, made sure his knife was under his pillow, and allowed silent tears to drip from his eyes until they bathed him in darkness and sleep took over.


	6. Chapter 6

**The Changing Lights of the Rainbow**

Chapter 6

They stayed at the apartment they had rented for the first half of the school year. John thought it best that the boys got a steady start to school. At Christmas break they moved. Sam wasn't very happy about moving. He liked his school and had made lots of friends. But, Dean didn't seem to care one way or another.

Dad promised they would start at a new school after the holiday break. Dean hoped Dad would forget, but knew Sammy would never let him. Dean hadn't made any friends anyhow, so he didn't mind leaving town. Besides, its not like they ever stayed in one place too long, and he had gotten used to that way of living.

They stopped to visit Bobby before settling into their new town. Sammy couldn't stop talking about how much he loved school and telling Bobby all about everything he learned. He gleamed with pride in himself when he talked about how he was the smartest kid in his class and how much all the kids loved being his friend.

"And what do you think about school?" Bobby had to interrupt Sam in order to question Dean about his experience.

Dean just shrugged. "It's all right, I guess." That's the only thing he could come up with. He couldn't tell him how much he hated it. How much he wished life could go back to the way it was, without having to spend his days in the classroom. Besides, he was never good at book stuff, he was more of the hands-on learner. He could learn how to fix a car and shoot a gun just by watching someone do it, but his mind would wander too much when he sat in front of the pages in a book.

They headed out of town after spending the night at Bobby's. It was just a pit stop, because the drive was so long. John had rented a motel room, but it looked to Dean like one of the run-down apartments they had lived in before. Really, they all pretty much looked alike. John left on his hunting trip. Told the boys he'd try to be back by Christmas day. Not that it mattered much, they weren't big on celebrating the holidays or birthdays. Hunting took too much concentration, John couldn't worry about the little things like that.

Dean was given his regular instructions. Salt lines, locks locked, don't leave the room, and look after Sammy. If he wasn't back by the day before school started to call Bobby, he'd try to be back on Christmas day, even if he had to leave immediately after, but couldn't make any guarantees. Dean answered with a "yes sir" and settled in for a long couple of weeks cooped up in the room with his little brother.

Sam had started getting annoying. Sure, Dean still loved him, and would protect him with his life, but the kid wouldn't stop talking about school. He loved it and talked about it nonstop. Dean just wanted to forget. He hoped the new school was better than the last one. The kids picked on him because he was so quiet. They laughed at him because he would rush to the kindergarten classrooms as soon as school was out. They called him a baby and said he wanted to be in kindergarten again. He just ignored them. He had more important things to do, like take care of his little brother. On the playground, he never played with anyone. He would sit in the corner and keep a watch over his surroundings, making sure everything looked safe for when Sam came out to play.

It was Christmas Eve. Just another day for Dean, but Sam wouldn't stop asking about Dad.

"Dad's gonna be here, right?"

"He'll be here"

"It's Christmas"

"He knows, and he'll be here, I promise"

"Where is he anyway?"

"On business"

"What kind of business?"

"You know that, he sells stuff"

"What kind of stuff?"

His mind had taken on a whole new life of its own. He seemed to ask way too many questions. He said it was because that's what you were supposed to do in school. But, in the hunting life, questions weren't always a good thing, and right now, Dean didn't want to listen to his brother ask about one more thing.

"Stuff"

"No body ever tells me anything"

"Then, quit asking"

Dean tried to walk away, tried to make Sam stop asking him things, but in the small motel room that wasn't an easy thing to do.

"Is Dad a spy?"

"Mmhmm, he's James Bond"

"Why do we move around so much?"

Why couldn't he just stop asking so many questions? Why couldn't he accept life the way it was, the way Dean did.

"Because everywhere we go, they get sick of your face."

He hoped that would shut him up. He hoped that would give his brother a hint that he was tired of listening to him, he just wanted some peace and quiet.

"I'm old enough, Dean. You can tell me the truth."

When did he start thinking he was old? In Dean's eyes he was still his baby brother, and nothing was going to change that. He still needed to protect him, protect him from the truth about what was really out there.

"You don't wanna know the truth, believe me"

"Is that why we never talk about…mom?"

Sam didn't know her, he was just a baby when she died, but he was always curious, loved hearing what few stories he got to hear about her. But, in his heart, she wasn't his mom, he never knew her. He didn't know what she was really like.

That got Dean upset. He was already getting tired of his brother running his mouth, and now he had to mention HER.

"SHUT UP! Don't you ever talk about Mom, EVER!"

Sam had never seen his brother so angry. It scared him. The way Dad scares him when he gets mad and yells. But, Dean didn't stick around long enough to notice, or care. He grabbed his coat and slammed the door behind him. He didn't want to have this stupid conversation to begin with, but his annoying little brother wouldn't let it go.

When Dean returned, Sam continued with his questions, that kid was persistent, Dean had to give him that, no matter how much it annoyed him. When Sam pulled out their dad's journal, asking if monsters were real, Dean was shocked, and upset.

"Where did you get that? That's Dad's. He's gonna kick your ass for reading it"

"Is it real? Are monsters real?"

Dean tried hard to make Dad sound like a superhero. To Dean, he was. He told Sam how awesome of a dad he was. Sam went to bed in tears that night. Dean had wished his dad was there, he needed him, needed his help right now. But, like always, he was alone, handling adult things with his brother.

Dad never showed. Dean tried to make Sam believe he did, but when the gifts he had stolen were girl's toys, he failed at making Sam believe. Sure, it upset him, but Dean was there, he tried to make it good for him. He even got a little tree and put a string of lights on it.

Sam gave Dean the gift Uncle Bobby gave to him. It was supposed to be for Dad. When they stopped at his house for the night, he asked Bobby about a gift for his dad, and Bobby told him that necklace was real special, and had special powers. He was sure John would like it.

But, now it belonged to Dean. Sam explained to Bobby what had happened, the reason Dean had it and not his dad. He hoped Bobby wouldn't get too upset. He didn't. In fact, he seemed almost happy that Dean had gotten it as a gift from his little brother. Dean seemed to wear it with pride. No matter what, it never came off. He would protect it as much as he protected Sammy.

He knew he couldn't tell the kids at his new school what he had learned over Christmas break. It had to remain a secret. Dad was furious when he found out Sam knew. But, Sam had stolen Dad's journal, and read it, so there wasn't any way of hiding the truth from him. And, Dean was still young himself, without Dad there, he wasn't sure what else to do.

John tried not to punish his boys, but sometimes he didn't have a choice. The fact that Dean had broken the first rule of hunting, even if it was only his brother that he told, he had to learn not to do it again. With a heavy heart, John pulled his belt from his pants. There had only been a couple times he could ever remember having to punish his boys before, and each time it shattered him to have to do it.

"Over my knee, boy"

"Dddad, please! It was only Sammy. He's part of the family. He already knew, he read it, I didn't think he counted as someone not to tell"

"I said over my knee"

Dean did as he was told, his pants pulled just below this backside. He winced with each strike of the belt, but he refused to let the tears fall. He was stronger than that. And, if he had done something wrong, then he deserved the punishment. John had lost count. He was sure he had spanked the boy more times than he planned to. But, it had been a long hunt. He watched as another hunter get killed by the creature they were after. His mind was preoccupied. He didn't expect to come home and have to deal with this.

"Dad" Sam spoke up, "don't you think that's enough?" Sam had tears pricking his little eyes.

John was pulled from his thoughts by his son's words, realizing he was still spanking his oldest son. The belt left marks that were red and bleeding. There were whelps that he was sure would take weeks to heal.

"Go to your bed" he directed the command at Dean as he pushed him off his lap, then looked up at Sam as Dean pulled his pants back around his waist, "both of you" he added.

Dean didn't hesitate. He wanted to crawl somewhere and hide. His bottom was stinging in pain, the pants didn't help any. Him and Sam both made their way to the bed they shared.

"You okay?" Sam whispered

"Yeah, I'm fine, no thanks to you" Dean wasn't sure why he was so mad at Sam, it wasn't his fault, he was just a kid, he was curious.

Dean laid on his stomach for a few minutes before deciding to make his way to the bathroom. He needed to remove his jeans and put on his pajama bottoms. They wouldn't hurt so much. When he made his way out of the room, he found his dad sitting on the same spot on the couch, his head was in his hands. Elbows resting on his knees.

Dean carefully made his way to his dad's side. He placed a hand on his shoulder, "It'll be okay, Dad"

John wiped his eyes and looked up at his son. Dean gave his dad a small grin, and tightened his grip on his shoulder. That was as close to a comforting hug the Winchesters gave. John returned the grin. "Go on to bed, it's been a long day, and you're starting a new school tomorrow."

"Yes sir" Dean made his way back to his bed. He made sure Sam was tucked in.

"Night Dean"

"Night Sammy"

Before Dean was even able to find a comfortable position his little brother's soft snores filled the silence of the room.

Dean's stomach was in knots again. The thought of starting a new school didn't settle so well with him. He would take all the punishment Dad wanted to give, as long as he didn't have to go to school. But, that's what Dad wanted, and he wouldn't dare disobey, or show his weakness.

"I've got another hunt, gonna leave after I get you boys signed into school."

John was making his way to his bed, he knew Dean was still awake, actually the kid always seemed to be awake. He was the last to fall asleep and the first to wake up. He had a natural, or unnatural depending how you looked at it, drive to protect.

"How long are you going to be gone?"

"Not sure, this hunt didn't go as planned, a lot of bad things went down, gotta meet with some other hunters and fix what went wrong. It might be awhile this time. I'll stop by the store before I head out of town, and leave you some emergency money, just in case."

"Yes sir" Just for once, Dean wished his dad would stick around. He wanted to talk to him, tell him how much he hated school, how hard it was to take care of Sammy. He wanted to ask for his help after school. He would have to help Sam with his homework, do his own homework, fix supper, make sure they both had baths and clean clothes, and get his brother to bed in time to get a full night's sleep. It was exhausting.

As much as Dean wanted to say these things to his dad, even if he would stay around long enough, he knew he never would. He knew he would never complain, never say a negative word about the life they lived. He had come to accept it. His dad's snores filled the room, joining with Sam's.

After laying in bed for what felt like a lifetime, he couldn't handle the knotting of his stomach any longer and made his way to the bathroom. After emptying the contents of his stomach, it seemed to settle enough that he was finally able to get some sleep, all though, he was not excited about waking up in the morning, not excited about going back to school. But, he would go without complaint.


	7. Chapter 7

**The Changing Lights of the Rainbow**

Chapter 7

Morning came, once again, and Dean fell into his normal routine. He prepared his brother's breakfast and made sure they were both dressed and ready for school. They followed the same routine as the last school they had attended. Dad went in, filled out the necessary paperwork. Sam was excited. He felt at home as soon as he walked through the doors. He couldn't wait to see what new things he could learn.

Dean just wanted to be four years old again. He wanted to hug his dad's leg and not let go. He wanted to run and hide in the floor of the backseat of the impala. Like he had before. He wanted cry and beg his dad not to leave him. But, he just grabbed his bag and followed the office worker to his new class.

Sam was too excited to tell the class about himself, leaving out the parts he had learned over Christmas break, of course. He made instant friends with everyone who surrounded him.

Dean stayed quiet, he didn't want to tell the class about himself. He didn't want to make friends. It wasn't much different from the last school, and he knew he would be picked on. He didn't have the newest clothes, he didn't wear the shoes that were in style. He wasn't 'cool' like the other kids. His soul was too old for the childish behaviors. He was more concerned about making sure his surroundings were safe, he didn't care about the latest gossip, even when the latest gossip involved him.

Every day after school he was waiting in front of Sammy's classroom door. The boys would walk home. It was a 2 mile walk, but they couldn't exactly take a bus to a motel room. Dean had to remind Sammy, every day, that the weather would soon warm up and the walk wouldn't be so cold. With Dad gone, they had to walk to school too, which meant they had to wake up extra early.

Dean hated that he had to start his day so early when it was for something he didn't even want to do. But, he put on his fake smile and walked side by side with his brother, making sure he stayed warm and safe. Dean tried to look cool. He wore his old leather jacket and he best jeans he could find. It still wasn't good enough, but it helped.

Sam, he made sure Sam stayed bundled up. Dean didn't care if he was cold, but he wouldn't let Sam be cold. Sam had a thick winter coat, a pair of gloves, and a winter cap with a little fuzzy ball on the top. It didn't really matter what he wore, he was young enough they didn't care about things like that yet.

They had only been in school for 4 days when Dean got into his first fight. He hadn't even started it. He was sitting on the playground, alone, watching his surroundings, when a girl from his class approached him.

"Hey!" she said, "I'm Sally"

Dean gave her a quick glance, "Dean"

"Wanna see something?"

Dean shrugged his shoulders, looking up at her, "Okay"

She reached out, took Dean's hand and helped him into a standing position. There was a little spot, between the school buildings that made an L shape. It ended at some air conditioner units.

"You ever kiss a girl before?"

Dean was shocked by her question and shook his head no. Honestly, with his life, he had never had the time to think about it, or even care.

"It's not hard. There's nothing to it" Sally said, "here let me show you"

She reached up, placed her hands on each side of Dean's face, and pressed her lips to his.

"That wasn't so bad was it?"

Dean shook his head again

"Let's try it again" she said as she pressed her lips against Dean's, this time creating some movement, and Dean followed her lead.

"Here," she said, "let me show you something else."

Sally was a thin, blonde headed girl, she was wearing a short skirt and a sweater that matched perfectly. She grabbed Dean's hand and put it under her skirt, brushing his fingers against her tender area. Dean's eyes got wide, he wasn't sure what he was supposed to do. She pulled his hand away,

"That's all you'll ever get, because you're such a looser" Sally said in a hateful tone.

To say Dean was shocked, and confused, would be an understatement. He wasn't really sure what had just happened or why. Sally seemed so nice at first, but had suddenly turned. It wasn't until he felt the hands of some boys in his class, grab his shoulders, that he became aware of his surroundings.

She had taken his concentration away. There was no way anyone would get the jump on him if he was paying attention. Dad had taught him how to fight, so he wasn't scared of a little one on one, but there were four boys surrounding him. Dean figured they didn't really know how to fight, didn't have the training he did, so he could take them, no problem.

The first blow came to his right cheek, just below his eye. Another fist met his stomach, forcing him to fight back the bile that rose in the back of his throat. When the second blow hit his stomach, he was gasping for air. Before he was able to catch his breath, a fist smashed into his nose. The boys were laughing. They thought they were winning. The two who were holding onto him let go, allowing Dean to slump to his knees as he caught his breath.

That was their first mistake, as soon as Dean was able to breathe, he kicked out, letting his foot come into contact with as many legs as he could with one simple swing. The boys fell to the ground. One of them started crying when his head smacked into the wall. He was on top of another boy before they even knew what hit them. He was pounding his fist into his face, over and over. The boy was crying out, begging for Dean to stop.

When Dean thought he'd had enough, he moved on to the next kid. He had been tugging at Dean's shoulder, trying to pull him off his friend. He slammed is elbow into his nose. The cartilage cracking and blood that started to flow was a sure sign he caused a break. When he looked around for the fourth boy, he was no where to be found. He had gotten scared and ran away.

Dean stood back up, whipping the blood from his hands, onto his pants, walked over to Sally, grabbed her face in his hands, and planted an extra forceful kiss on her lips.

"Thanks for the good time" he said in the most smug voice he could muster up, then he walked away.

The three boys laid there crying, like babies. Sally stood in complete shock, and disgust that Dean was able to take on all three of the boys, and win.

The teachers went into a fit when they saw Dean's face. He didn't have a choice but to tell them what had happened. They rushed around the corner to find the other injured boys. They tried to say it was Dean's fault, that he had started it. Dean had already given them the story when they first approached him, and to his surprise, Sally had told the truth as well, she even told them they tried to set him up, to teach him a lesson because he was such a freak.

"What happened?" Sam asked as soon as he saw his brother's face after school

"Nothing"

"It's obviously not nothing, Dean"

"Don't worry about it."

"Did you get in a fight?"

"Yeah, something like that"

"Does Dad know?"

"Why you gotta ask so many questions? Of course, he knows. You wouldn't think the school would let me go without calling him, would ya?"

"Is he mad?"

"Look, he's gotta come back, be at school in the morning. So of course, he's mad"

"Are you gonna get in trouble?"

"Stop being so stupid, when we get home, I expect you to get started on your homework, then take your bath. I want you in bed before Dad gets home, you got it?"

"Yeah" Sam lowered his head, he knew Dean was probably going to get in trouble, that's why he wanted to make sure Sam was asleep as early as possible.

Dean worked hard to get their nightly routine finished before Dad got home. He helped Sam with his homework while he did his own, then he fixed supper while Sam took a bath. Once they were both done, the sat down to eat.

"Can I watch tv when we're done?"

"Yeah, for a little while, but you're going to bed early tonight, don't forget"

"I won't"

Sam finished his food, and sat himself in front of the tv. Dean worked on cleaning the kitchen and straightening the room.

"Sam, I need you to stay here, I'm going to take our clothes to the washing machines down the hall, I'll only be gone for a couple minutes, make sure you lock the door behind me."

Sam gave a huff, like it was asking too much of him to get up and lock the door. "Okay" he said, still preoccupied by the tv.

Dean gathered their clothes. They needed clean clothes for school tomorrow, so it wasn't like Dean had much of a choice. He was just thankful the motel provided a washer and dryer. It sure beat having to walk a mile or more to the nearest laundry mat. That was always a chore because he couldn't leave Sammy alone, and he always complained when he had to go with him.

Dean's heart dropped when he saw the familiar impala parked outside the door to their room. He hadn't been gone for longer than two minutes. He couldn't believe Dad had made it back while he wasn't on Sammy guard. 'great, just something else to get in trouble for' he thought to himself as he made his way into the room.

Sam was sitting on Dad's lap, telling him all about his week at school. John shot Dean a look when he walked through the door. Dean, instinctually turned and locked the door, fixing the salt line that had been shifted.

"Oh, so now you decide to lock the door?" John said with anger in his voice.

Dean was shocked, "I told Sammy to make sure he locked it behind me. He said he would. I just took some clothes to the washer, we need clean clothes for school tomorrow. I wasn't gone but a minute or two."

"Stop your damn rambling" John cut him off

"Sam it's your bedtime" Dean said, looking directly at his brother, daring him to defy him, especially after he left the door unlocked.

Sam gave his dad a hug, "Night Daddy"

"Night Buddy"

"Sorry" he whispered as he walked past Dean and crawled into their bed.

"Get your ass over here and sit down, we got some things to talk about"

"Yes sir"

"What the hell happened today?"

Dean proceeded to tell his dad everything that took place, how they had set him up, and the only reason the boys got a jump on him was because the girl had him distracted, but as soon as he had a chance he laid into them, making sure they weren't able to fight him anymore, at least not today.

A part of John was proud of his son. Proud of him for sticking up for himself, for defending himself, and not starting the fight. He had waited until he knew he could fight back before he even attempted anything. He calculated their moves and used his training to put them in their place. He couldn't be mad at him for that. If anything, it was good practice for when he started hunting.

But, he was still called back home, and in the middle of an important hunt. That kind of behavior wasn't acceptable at school, and John knew he needed to have a harsh talk about the consequences. He wasn't exactly sure what to say.

"I'm glad you were able to defend yourself, and it sounds like, with the girl's statement, there's no mistaking who started it, but you have to understand, when you fight at school there's consequences, and when I get called back from a hunt, there's even bigger consequences. And, you'll need to be punished, not because you defended yourself, but because you caused problems, problems we don't need!"

Dean just sat, staring at his dad. He wasn't sure how to respond to that. He knew Dad was right, he knew it wasn't good to leave a hunt, especially for something like this, but there wasn't anything else Dean could have done, except let the boys get the best of him, but he knew if he let that happen his dad would still be furious.

"Look, I'm exhausted, so lets just get this done" John said with a sigh as he pulled his belt from his pants. "I can't believe this is the second time since we've been here that I've had to use my belt on you"

Dean wanted to cry. He wanted anything but that. He was still healing from the last time, but he did as his father ordered. His pants were slipped from his waist, leaving bare skin exposed. He laid across his dad's lap, and winced with every strike of the belt. This time, since he still had wounds from the last encounter with the belt, stung worse than before, but Dean refused to cry, refused to show his weakness.

When he was done, he ordered Dean to run to the school and back, a total of 4 miles, then take a shower and get to bed when he finished. It was already getting late, but he did as he was told, without a word of disobedience, without a simple utter of complaint.

When Dean returned, both his brother and his dad were sound asleep. Dean took a shower the way his dad told him to then made his way to bed. It didn't take him long to join the others in sleep. It had been a long day, his body ached from a mixture of the fight, the spanking, and the midnight run. He was exhausted. He didn't even seem to be able to worry about the following day before he had closed his eyes and allowed sleep to take over his mind.


	8. Chapter 8

**The Changing Lights of the Rainbow**

Chapter 8

Dean seemed to get into a fight at school at least once a week. He always gave the other kids a chance but never let them get the upper hand on him. There was one time an ambulance was called for the other kid. Dean sported black eyes and bruised face, but didn't ever allow himself to get serious injuries.

He seemed to always be in trouble for fighting, but he decided if the other kids wanted to fight, then he would use it for training. He would practice his fighting, working on the skills that needed strengthening.

John was okay with Dean's idea. He was tired of the other kids starting fights with him. Eventually it became too much and John made the boys pack up and move. He wanted them to stay in one school as long as possible, but that didn't seem like it was going to work out, not with Dean.

Dean was always on the defense and he wouldn't hesitate to protect himself or his brother. Sam wasn't too happy about leaving another school, but he didn't complain as much as he wanted, because he knew it was best for Dean. He was getting tired of seeing new injuries appear on his big brother.

The parents started having fits because their kids were coming home with injuries. John told Dean the mean kids had to learn their behavior from somewhere, and judging by the parents, the apple didn't fall far from the tree. Dean agreed and they both agreed Dean didn't fall too far from his tree either. He took after his dad, maybe a little too much. It was like the boy was born to be a hunter, it was in his blood from the start.

They settled into another motel. Dean figured he'd try the same trick that had been done to him. He found a good hiding place and coaxed a girl back there, asking if she had ever kissed, and pressing his lips to hers. He figured, school was for learning, so he would learn all he could about the important stuff, and kissing girls was important. Or, at least, it would be one day. And, when the day came, he'd be ready. He even tried to slip his hands between a few legs, but was met with resistance. He figured these kids weren't as experimental as the last school he attended.

He didn't find himself in fights, not like the last school, but he did get a lot of complaints against him for kissing and touching, so, once again, they found themselves moving to a new motel and a new school.

Sam never seemed to have any trouble fitting in, but Dean wasn't sure exactly how he was supposed to act. Each school seemed to be different. The kids all had different style, and different attitudes. The newest school, the kids seemed to be wild. They were more experienced with kissing than Dean was. He didn't mind, it gave him more experience.

The teachers didn't seem to care about what the kids did at school. Sam complained every day about how much he wasn't learning, but Dean was learning a lot, in the girl department. He didn't care about what was in the books anyhow.

Their last day at that school, Dean was on the playground. He had one of the girls against the wall to the school building, learning how to French kiss. One of the boys came behind him, pulling him away from the girl and pressing his back to the wall.

"I can teach you better" the boy told Dean as he leaned his body against his and pressed his lips to Dean's. Before he had time to react the boy had his tongue inside Dean's mouth. He wasn't sure why, but he followed the boy's lead, moving his tongue into his mouth as well. The next thing he knew, the boy had his hand slipped between Dean's legs.

Dean pushed the boy away, not wanting any part of the touching, not with another boy.

"What's the matter?" the boy asked, pressing Dean's back against the building. "I thought you wanted to learn"

"Not like that" Dean replied.

The boys pressed his body against Dean's, again, and grasped Dean between his legs. "Just shut up and enjoy it" the boy ordered.

Dean's mind was swirling, he couldn't think straight. He had been taught to obey orders, but this one he didn't like. Sure, he wouldn't mind if a girl wanted to touch him like that, but not another boy. And now, the boy's lips were pressed against Dean's, his tongue back inside his mouth.

He was sure he was going to be sick, his stomach was turning flip flops, his body confused. There were kids standing around them, watching. No one was stopping him, no one was helping Dean. He couldn't fight him, he wasn't allowed to start a fight. The boy had to hit him first, that was the rule. But, his hands were too busy to hit him.

He had worked both of Dean's hands above his head, holding his wrists together with one hand. The other hand, was making its way down the front of Dean's pants. The boy was older, and bigger, Dean wasn't prepared for the strength the boy had against his wrists. He tried to tell him to stop, but before he could get the words out, the boy's tongue was back in his mouth. His hand was groping Dean, inside his pants.

He could feel the boy's fingers grasping him and rubbing against his tender skin. Dean tried to squirm, to get away. He had never had this type of experience.

"You enjoying it?" the boy whispered to Dean, sticking his tongue back in his mouth before he could answer.

The other kids were giggling, and enjoying the show. The boy had worked Dean's pants down and his penis out of the top of his pants. The girls were whispering, Dean hoped they were whispering good things about him, he knew he was bigger than the average kid his age, not that any of that mattered to him, not yet.

He was never so relieved to hear the school bell. He wanted to cry, and vomit at the same time, but forced himself to do neither. He sat through his next class, wishing time would go by faster. As soon as the last bell rang, he rushed to Sammy's class. He was beyond ready to leave the school. He didn't exactly enjoy being stuck in a motel room all evening, but it was better than being at school.

"What's wrong Deanie?" Sam questioned on their walk back.

"Nothing, just shut up"

"Why you so angry?"

"None of your damn business, just leave me alone."

"I don't like this school, Dean"

"Me either"

"When's Dad coming back?"

"Don't know, either today or tomorrow. I hope"

"Maybe we'll be moving again when he gets home?"

"I hope so"

"Me too"

They made their way into the motel room. Dean instantly went to the shower. He didn't even explain to Sam, or tell him what he was doing. He stood under the hot water, allowing it to wash his soul away.

"Dean! How long you gonna be? I'm hungry" Sam shouted through the door while his little fists banged on it.

Dean was snapped out of his thoughts, and turned the water off. "I'll be just a minute, hold on"

"Hurry up!"

Dean hurried and dried himself off, putting on his night clothes and making his way back into the room.

"It's about time! What took you so long?"

"None of your business!" Dean's response was more hateful than he expected, but refused to apologize for his behavior. He fixed Sammy's supper and laid his bowl in front of him.

"Aren't you going to eat too?"

"Not hungry"

"Whatever, suit yourself" Sam replied

"You got homework?"

"You know I don't! This school sucks. You don't learn anything there. The teacher is stupid and they don't care about any of the kids."

"Yeah, can't disagree with you there, little brother."

Dean sat on the bed, deep in thought. It was Thursday, he was hoping Dad would be home tonight, but it didn't look like that was going to happen.

"Hey, Sam, tomorrow's Friday, what do you say we just skip school tomorrow? Make an extra long weekend? And, when Dad gets home, maybe he'll let us go to a different school next week?"

"Really? Sounds good to me"

Dean was shocked, his brother would never dream of skipping school, he must truly hate the school as much as he did. He went to bed early that night, even though they didn't have plans on waking up in the morning. Sam, of course, complained, but Dean just wanted the day to be over.

"Hey, Dean! Wake up, boy, shouldn't you boys be getting ready for school?"

"Dddad?" Dean's words slurred as he cracked his eyes open and pulled himself from his sleep. "When'd you get back?"

"A few hours ago, and I'm exhausted, so you need to get Sammy up before you boys are late, and I'm hitting the hay."

Dean rubbed his eyes, pushing himself to a seated position with his legs hanging off the edge of the bed. He debated just waking his brother and doing as he was told, but the thought of going back to that school made his stomach unsettled.

"Dad?" Dean's voice was low, his head hung, eyes focused on the floor at his feet.

"Yeah?"

"Can…. Uh… we don't like the school. We don't want to go back."

"Well, we aren't moving today so you gotta go."

"We… we were going to skip today."

"And your brother's okay with it?"

"Yes sir, he doesn't like it either."

"Why? What's so bad about it?"

Dean just shrugged his shoulders, took a moment to collect his thoughts before speaking. "Sammy hates it, he says they don't teach anything and the teachers don't care about the kids. He's right, you know, they really don't care. He even called his teacher stupid and said he hoped we could move when you got back."

"Hmm… and what about you?"

"Huh?" Dean had hoped that saying his brother didn't like it would have been good enough.

"Why don't you like it?"

"The same" he said with a shrug

"Since when did you care about if you learned anything or not?"

"Since now" Dean said with anger in his voice.

"Whoa there, boy. I'd suggest you calm that attitude and tell me what that anger is all about."

"Sorry, sir" Dean replied, he sounded so sheepish, so young.

"So, what's that all about?"

"The kids. They are… different. I guess. I don't know. Maybe I'm just the one that's different? I mean, I don't mind kissing the girls on the playground. The teachers don't care. There's even a few that lets me put my hand between their legs. But, I've never kissed a boy before, or had anyone touch me… like that…" Dean's voice trailed off

"Dean… it's important you answer me truthfully, got it?" Dean nodded, "Who touched you? And what do you mean 'like that'?"

"One of the boys, he's a grade or two above me. He pushed me against the wall outside and kissed me. I didn't like it, but he kept on, wouldn't stop. He put his hand down my pants, and touch me, down there. I know you said not to start a fight, not to throw a punch unless someone else threw one first. So, I didn't. He didn't hit me. He held my hands, above my head, and his other hand in my pants. The other kids, they just watched. I wanted him to stop. I did, but no one made him stop, not even the teachers. And, I wanted to punch him, but remembered what you said, so I didn't." Dean was rambling, once he started talking he couldn't seem to stop.

"Okay, slow down there, boy." John tried to calm his trembling son.

When had he started trembling? When did the tears threaten to fall from his eyes? When had his stomach started doing jumping jacks? Dean jumped from the bed, rushed to the bathroom, throwing himself on the floor in front of the toilet, and emptied what little contents were in his stomach.

John followed. He was in shock over what his son had just told him. Dean didn't understand all of it, but John sure as hell did. His son had been sexually assaulted. And, the other kids and teachers witnessed it, doing nothing to protect him. He had never had this type of talk with his boy, didn't think it was necessary, not yet anyhow. But, now, he was going to have to explain to him that if anything like that were to happen again, its okay to throw the first punch. Any time he felt threatened, it would be okay to defend himself, even if the threat hadn't presented in the form of a punch.

But, for now, he knelt beside his son, rubbing his hand across his back, easing the anxiety that raised in him. Once Dean was finished, he reached out and wrapped his arms, tightly, around his dad. He couldn't have stopped the tears, even if he tried. And, he did try. The last thing he wanted to do was cry in his dad's chest, but that's exactly what he found himself doing. And, the worst thing was, he didn't understand why.

John didn't seem to mind. Once Dean had started to calm down, he lifted his son in his arms and carried him into the other room. He laid his weeping son beside him.

"It's okay, I won't make you go back there, okay? We'll let Sammy finish sleeping, just calm down, you're with me now, you're safe."

Dean cuddled into his dad and allowed the safety of his arms surround him.

They moved again after that. Nothing was said to Sammy about what had happened to Dean, and it wasn't something that was ever discussed again. John understood Dean's hesitance when starting the new school, but told him he needed to go anyhow. So, Dean did exactly as his dad ordered.

That school wasn't so bad, the kids there were actually nice. So were the teachers. They lived close to the school so it was only a 5 minute walk back and forth. They stayed in that school until the end of the year.

Summer came and went way too fast. They spent a lot of time at Bobby's while their dad was gone. They were supposed to be training, but Bobby insisted they behaved like kids and visited the park. He taught Dean how to throw a ball. Once school started back, the boys moved again, and again. By Christmas break, they had attended three different schools that year. It wasn't much different the second semester, or even the following year. They had gotten used to moving and starting new schools. No matter how much Sam complained about it, it didn't change.

Dean started going hunting with his dad on weekends and school holidays. Summer time was his favorite because he got to spend a lot of time with his dad, just the two of them, doing what they loved the most.

Sammy hated being left alone while they hunted during the school year, but the summer was better because he would stay with Bobby or Pastor Jim. He got the chance to soak up all the knowledge he could. Now that he knew the truth, and was old enough to read, he learned everything he could about the hunting lifestyle and the monsters they hunted. Bobby and Jim were both more than happy to allow him to soak up the knowledge. That boy's love for books was greater than any of them had ever seen before. He was a natural sponge, smarter than most adults they knew. He was going places in life, that was for sure.


	9. Chapter 9

**The Changing Lights of the Rainbow**

Chapter 9

"Why can't I go with you?" Sam whined, upset because they had an entire week from school and he was going to spend it alone in a motel room while his brother and dad went hunting.

"Because its not safe, you know that"

"But, you were hunting when you were my age! Will you talk to him for me, please, Dean!"

"I'll try, okay? But I can't promise anything, you know he's pretty set on keeping you safe."

Sam sat on the edge of the bed, pouting like the child he was. His dad had made it clear that he was not going with them. He wasn't old enough, it was too dangerous. Dean gave his brother a look of apology as he followed his dad out the door.

"Make sure you fix the salt lines, and lock the door when we leave" Dean reminded him.

Sam gave an eye roll as a response.

Dean was becoming a teenager. He acted like a grown adult, but at 14 years old, what boy didn't think they were grown. Dean had enough training to hunt with the best. What he didn't know, he easily figured out on his own. He was going home to his brother, that wasn't even a question. He would make sure of that.

He enjoyed hunting the baddies. He felt a sense of release. All the years of pinned up energy and emotions had an outlet, and he used every bit of it that he could. His anger, for the way his life had gone, was taken out on the creatures they hunted. Dad would never dream of letting him hunt alone, he said it was too dangerous, but as he grew older he would let him take the lead, make decisions on his own. But, for now, he had to follow his dad's exact orders. That wasn't a problem, he had spent his entire life following his orders exactly as they were given.

He enjoyed the power of the gun in his hands, the feel of a knife twisting inside a creature's body. He enjoyed the howling screams as the creatures died before his eyes. The blood, was riveting, made Dean feel alive. He would never hurt a human, he wasn't evil, he only enjoyed the fact that he was saving people, and killing the evil at the same time.

This creature they were hunting, the one Dad insisted was too dangerous for Sam to join them, wasn't at all what Dean had expected. When Dad said they were hunting a spirit, he figured it was your normal run of the mill, salt and burn, type of spirit. The type that would rattle chains in the attic and keep new people from moving into the home it possessed. They would figure out the identity, find where they were buried, and destroy the bones. Then they would make their way back to Sammy. Dean could imagine him sitting on the edge of the bed, his arms folded across his chest, pouting because he was left alone, again.

Only, that's not at all the way the hunt went. Even John wasn't expecting the outcome to be so horrifying. The spirit, ended up being a group of spirits. And, as if that wasn't bad enough, it was a cult, they had all died together in a mass suicide.

"They drank the kool-aid" Dean joked, "you never drink the kool-aid at a party"

John just chuckled at his son's sense of hummer. He was a completely different kid when he was hunting. When he's stuck in a motel or cheap apartment he's quiet and keeps to himself, but when he's in the wilderness, hunting, he's more opened and free.

Once they had identified the names of the cult members, they realized they were actually all related, and buried together in the same area.

"So, like the dad had a baby with his daughter and mom had one with her son?" Dean questioned, finding the whole thing disgusting.

"Yep, and according to the records the dad/husband was married to all the women who were his 'wives' and he even married some of the girls that were born before he married their moms."

"That's just gross!"

"It happens, Dean. It's not the idea situation, and usually they end just like this one did, but it happens. It's never a good thing. In situations like this, not only is everyone involved abused in every way imaginable, raped, but they lack the capability to think for themselves too. They usually end up worshiping the man who is the head of the family, he presents himself as a god, and the family is his followers."

"So, we gonna torch him first, so he's not in the way?"

"You got it, son! The leader goes first, once he's gone, the others won't put up much of a fight."

"Why would they put up a fight, won't they be free after he's gone?"

"It doesn't work that way. He's worked himself into their brains. His way of thinking is their way of thinking. They only know what he's brainwashed them to know, and the kids, well they've never known any different. It's sad really. They will defend him, even after death."

"Yeah, I would defend you, and Sammy, even after I died, if I had to, you know."

John just grinned and ruffed up Dean's hair, "Let's just hope you never have to."

"Yeah" Dean said with a grin

It didn't take them long to find the area the family was buried. They located the leader's name etched into a small stone at the head of his grave. "Jeremy Jacobs, loving father and husband to the many". The thought of what it said made Dean's stomach turn.

He was more than happy to start digging his grave, he wanted to torch this son of a bitch and set the others free. His shovel dug into the soft dirt, scooping it away a little at a time. John stayed watch, salt gun in hand, ready to repel any spirit that may try to stop them.

It all seemed quiet, too quiet. There wasn't a sound. Not even a bird bug made a sound. They had learned that means something evil was around. They both had their guard up, ready to defend themselves against whatever was hiding in the shadows. Dean continued to dig, until his shovel hit something hard.

"I think I found him" he shouted to his dad as he forced the tip of the shovel down, splitting the wooden box that was buried beneath the ground.

The bones of what was once a living, breathing, human being, was the only thing left as a reminder of his evil while he lived.

John made his way to Dean, "good job, son. Now, let's torch him."

Dean grinned as he climbed out of the grave. John sat the gun on the ground while he started pouring the salt over the bones. Without warning, the winds picked up, and Dean was thrown across the make shift graveyard and slammed into a tree.

His body slumped to the ground with a thud, and groan of pain. He squeezed his eyes closed, willing the sudden pain to leave. He heard his dad yell and his eyes flew opened just in time to see him pinned against another tree. The force of the spirit was holding him against the tree. He was struggling, trying to free himself. He kept eying Dean, trying to make sure he was okay.

Dean crawled across the ground, trying not to make a sound. He made his way to the grave and poured the lighter fluid on the bones before the spirit even knew he had moved.

Releasing his force against John, he redirected his attention to the boy. Suddenly, Dean collapsed to the ground. He wrapped his hands around his own throat, trying to pry away the pressure that seemed to be cutting off his air supply. Again, he was forced into the air, and slammed against another tree. He wasn't able to make a sound of pain this time, he couldn't even take a breath of air. His lungs were burning, his face felt hot, and cold, at the same time. The pressure wrapped around his throat felt tighter by the second.

His vision blurred, doubled, then turned black. He could have sworn, before everything went blank, he had seen several figures around him. It felt like there were several people there. He had a sensation that felt like a punch to the gut, another that was like a kick to his ribs. They struck, several times. He couldn't see anymore, couldn't think, couldn't breathe. Then, without his knowledge, his shovel was thrown toward him, the point of it striking him in his head, leaving a gash that poured blood on the ground around him.

John had managed to make his way back to the grave once the spirits were occupied with his son. His heart wrenched. The only thing he wanted to do was protect his boy, save him from the vicious attack. But, he knew if he went for Dean he would be fighting a loosing battle. He needed to rid them of the spirits in order to be completely safe. He threw the box of matches into the grave. The spirit of their first attacker went up in flames with the bones.

John then picked up his gun, shooting rounds of rock salt into the other spirits. Making them leave his son. John quickly made his way to the lifeless pile on the ground. His heart skipped a beat until he found the faint pulse pushing blood through Dean's veins. He took his shirt off, tying it around Dean's head, placing pressure over the gash. After being sure he was breathing, he lifted him and carried him to the next grave. He knew they had a job to do, and it needed to be done. He couldn't bare the thought of having his son too far from him, and would stop his digging to check on him. He didn't wake, but kept a steady heartbeat and respiratory rate. John dug the graves of the adult women, the ones who were the original mothers and wives, first. He kept his shotgun loaded and ready. After shooting the spirits a few more times, they seemed to weaken, perhaps they realized their leader was gone. John managed to get the job done, every grave was dug, salted, and burned. He didn't bother filling them in. Any other time he would have, but he needed to take care of his son, besides no one ever came out this way, no one visited the graves, he figured no one would even care, and if they did, he would be long gone by then.

He lifted Dean in his arms. His body was limp in his grip, carefully he laid his boy in the back seat, then quickly returned for the shovels and other items they had used. He made it back to the motel in record time. It was only an hour away, and he made it in a little over 30 minutes. He was never so thankful there weren't any cops waiting to pull him over.

"Dad! What happened?"

Sam was clearly upset as he carried in his older brother. He appeared lifeless.

"Get me some warm water and clean dressings for his head" John commanded.

Usually, Sam would have an attitude and argue about doing what his dad asked of him, but this time was different, this time it was for Dean.

John removed his jacket and shirt. His back was covered in a colorful rainbow of bruises from hitting the thick tree trunks. His ribs and stomach were red from the brutal attack to the areas.

Sam returned with the items and sat beside his brother,

"Dean? Can you hear me? You gotta be all right." Sam sounded so sad, and so lost, without his big brother responding to him. "Is he going to be okay?" Sam directed his question to his dad.

"He's tough, he'll be just fine. Sam, I need you to pack our things"

"Why?"

"We're going to Bobby's." John wasn't even looking at his youngest son, he was busy cleaning the wound on Dean's head, putting fresh bandages on it, trying to get the bleeding to stop. Not only did he have the gash on his head, but he had a large lump on the back of it too.

"We're moving? Again? Why do we gotta go?" Sam started his regular pouting

"Because there's no way in hell your brother is going to be able to attend school like this, and unless you want the officials to get involved and take you boys away, then we gotta move to a new school. And, besides, Bobby can help me with your brother. I don't know about you, but I would like to see him wake up, and be okay. Unless you don't care about that, and only want to care about your school."

Sam stuck out his lower lip. That was a low blow, even for John, but he was exhausted, he had a long hard night of digging graves, plus being attacked, and now having to worry about taking care of Dean. He didn't have the patients for Sam's childish behavior.

"FINE!" Sam shouted as he started packing their things.

John just huffed, taking a closer look at Dean's injuries. The gash on his head was deep. He wasn't sure the shovel didn't hit his skull. Bobby would know more than he did. He needed to get him there, get him the help he needed.

"I don't know why you can't just take him to a hospital, like normal people do, that's what they're there for, you know" Sam was still pouting and trying to fight with his dad.

"Yeah? And how the hell are you going to explain something like this? 'you see, doctor, there was a group of ghosts who attacked us, then they threw a shovel into his skull' I don't think that's going to go over too well, do you?"

"Well, its better than letting him lay there and die!"

"He's not dying, he's just knocked unconscious."

"When's he gonna wake up?"

"I don't know. Now, would you please do what I told you to do, so we can get Dean to Bobby's. He'll be able to get better care there."

"Yeah, whatever. I hate this family!"

"Sam, I'm only going to say this nicely one time… would you please just stop? Shut your mouth for once in your life. I don't have the patients or the energy for your arguing right now. I'm exhausted and on edge, and, I've gotta make sure your brother stays alive."

"I thought you said he wasn't dying?"

"SAM!"

"Sorry"

Sam dropped his head, finished the packing and followed his dad out the door. John laid Dean in the back seat, Sam piled in beside him, placing his brother's head in his lap. He wasn't going to let his big brother be too far away from him, not when Dad just said he had to make sure he stayed alive. Sam was scared, but Dad didn't like anyone showing emotions, so it came out more as anger. Anger was accepted, so it was what most of his emotions came out as, this was no different. Inside, Sam was screaming. He was screaming for his brother to wake up, to be okay.

The ride seemed too long, yet short at the same time. John didn't waist anytime getting Dean out of the car.

"Sam, go bang on his door, get him woke up, hurry"

Sam did as he was told, he ran up to Bobby's front door, banging on it with his little fists. He saw a light flick on, and a grumpy voice, "yeah yeah, I hear ya, who is it?"

"Uncle Bobby! We need your help, hurry, please, it's Dean!"

Bobby unlocked the door and flung it opened. There stood a scared little boy, tears threatening to drip from his eyes, and behind him, John was making his way up the steps with his oldest son in his arms. His body was limp, his arms and legs hanging toward the ground, his head carefully cradled against John's chest.

"Balls! What in the hell happened?"

John quickly told Bobby the basics, and laid Dean on the couch, allowing Bobby to take over. John was beyond exhausted, beyond stressed. He didn't think he'd be able to handle much more. He paced the floor as Bobby stitched the boy's head, stopping the blood loss. He wrapped his body in bandage to help with any broken ribs.

"He just needs to sleep it off. He has a pretty nasty bump on his head, and it looks like that shovel chipped his skull, but that should be fine, might hurt like a bitch when he wakes up, but so will that nasty gash, and I'm sure he has a few broken ribs."

John sighed, "How long do you think before he wakes?"

"I'd say no time tonight, so why don't you and little bit go upstairs and get you some shut eye, I'll stay with him for now"

John thanked Bobby, knowing he needed to rest before he passed out himself, and shuffled Sammy upstairs. Of course, he didn't go without putting in his thoughts about leaving his brother, but John wasn't going to hear it, not tonight. It had been a long enough night and all he wanted to do was sleep.


	10. Chapter 10

**The Changing Lights of the Rainbow**

Chapter 10

"Well, maybe if you'd let me come along I could have helped!"

"Absolutely not! What in the world makes you think it would have been safe for you, when Dean and I both walked away with injuries?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe because you would have had an extra hand digging up all those graves and keeping an eye open for spirits. Then maybe, just maybe my brother wouldn't be laying there dying!"

"Damn it boy! Your brother is NOT dying!"

"Yeah, no thanks to you!"

Sam and John had been at each other ever since they woke up. Bobby went to bed and John took over watching Dean. He still hadn't woken from his injuries. He looked pale, and broken. Lifeless, laying on the couch.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean boy?"

"I mean it's not exactly like you did everything you could do to protect him, did you? If you had, he would have woken up by now, and wouldn't have the injuries he has. But you chose to continue 'the job' despite the fact your son was laying there, bleeding to death!"

"When the hell are you going to get it through your thick skull, boy? Your brother is not dying!"

"Like I said, no thanks to you. You're one hell of a dad, you know that? Most dads would actually give a shit, but noooo not our great and wonderful dad! you just let your kid lay there and bleed all over the place while you finish your precious work! Then you don't even get him the proper care! Instead you make us pack up and move… again! Just so no one will know you allowed your son to be injured."

"Sam, I don't know what the hell has crawled inside you, but I suggest you get it out before I put you in your place!"

"Oh, so I can join my brother in the world of injured unconsciousness?"

There voices were rising with their anger at each other.

"Stop fighting"

Dean's voice sounded so quiet and broken. He was barely able to get the words out through the pain that ran through is body. His eyes felt heavy, barely able to stay opened. He looked exhausted.

"DEAN!" Sam ran to his brother's side, throwing his arms around him.

Dean didn't have the heart to ask him to stop, but the grimace on his face spoke how much his brother's hug hurt him.

"Sam, get off your brother, you're hurting him"

Sam looked up at Dean with his dad's words, seeing the pain written across his face. He released his brother. "Sorry, Dean"

"It's okay" he mumbled, trying to keep his voice steady and calm.

"Hey there, Bud, how you feeling?"

"Like I was thrown against a tree, repeatedly." Dean answered with a slight grin. He grabbed his head, trying to stop the pain that shot through with the dizziness and wave of nausea, as he tried to adjust his position on the couch.

"Hey, easy there, Champ!" John stopped him with a gentle hand to the shoulder. Accompanied by a groan of pain from his son.

"Dean, I'm so happy you're awake!" Sam exclaimed

"I'm not dying, Sammy" Dean's voice sounded like he was dying, but he tried to reassure him that he was okay.

"Yeah, no thanks to Dad!" Sam repeated, anger still fuming

"Damn it Sammy, would you stop already?" John shouted back

"Both of you, stop!" Dean's frustration was getting the best of him.

Sam and Dad seemed to start bumping heads about six months ago and it has only gotten worse with time. Sam was never satisfied, and blamed everything on their dad, John stayed exhausted and frustrated, drowning his emotions in alcohol, which didn't help matters any. Dean always seemed to be in the middle. There's even been a few times he found himself on the receiving end of his dad's fist as he stepped between the two, blocking a punch that was meant for his little brother.

"Okay, calm down, son." John pleaded "Sammy, just let it go, at least for now."

"Fine, whatever" Sam crossed his arms across his chest and sat in the nearby chair with a huff.

All the commotion woke Bobby, who seemed none the happier to be coming down the stairs, but did look pleased that Dean had woken too.

"Well, at least I'm not the only one you two idjits woke up with your bickering." Bobby huffed. "How you feeling, boy?" He directed his question to Dean.

"been better" Dean replied, his voice sounding weaker than before.

"Yeah, well, you look like hell" Bobby replied.

"Back at ya" Dean said with a grin

The days came in a blur, Dean seemed to go in and out of consciousness over the next few days, his injuries healing. Sam stayed upset with their dad, he refused to speak to him, when he did it always ended in an argument, which resulted in waking Dean and him having to stop the two.

He was getting real tired of constantly having to stop his dad and brother from arguing.

"Look, I'm fine, honest, I'm feeling better. I've even been awake all day. My head doesn't feel fuzzy, and I don't feel like puking anymore. We can go, move on to our next stop, get little brother back in school"

All Dean wanted was for his family to get back to normal. He loved being at Bobby's. He always made sure the boys were taken care of. He knew once they left, their dad would leave too, and Dean would be responsible for taking care of his brother. But, it sure as hell beat their constant bickering.

"John, you know the boy isn't healed. He needs more time. How about, leaving them here for a little while, you can go on the hunt you found, and it'll give you and Sam a break from each other."

"Bobby, I'm perfectly capable of taking care of my own boys."

"I didn't say you were, you idjit, but Dean don't need the added stress the two of you keep putting on him."

"I'm not putting anything on the boy"

"Oh really? You don't think you and Sam's arguing isn't adding stress to him? Not to mention the fact you've drilled 'take care of Sammy' into that boy's head enough times that he doesn't have much of a choice but to get in between the two of you."

John gave a sigh

"All I'm saying is I think it would do all you some good. And, Dean don't need to be worrying about his brother while you go hunt some other creature, not yet, he isn't healed enough. Hell, today is the first time he's stayed awake all day, and you're gonna expect him to be able to take care of himself and Sam?"

"Okay, fine, maybe you're right. But, Sam needs to be in school. Dean can't go, not yet, not until he's healed enough no one will be asking any questions."

"You don't think I don't know that?"

Sam and Dean were both relieved when they were told they were staying with Bobby. The days settled down once John got Sam enrolled in school and left for a hunt. He kept in contact, informing them of another hunt he had found, followed by another. The boys stayed with Bobby for 3 months. It was enough time for the end of the school year to approach.

Dean was healed, and ready to hunt again. John returned, and left with Dean. Sam didn't mind, he got to stay the summer with Bobby and his endless library.

"But Dad, I don't want to go!"

Summer had gone by way too fast. Sam enjoyed it there. He enjoyed the three months before summer too, but Dad insisted he had to leave, move with the family. He would, once again, be starting a new school. He would be leaving friends he made, and have to make new ones.

He tried to convince them to let him stay, but John wouldn't budge on his decision. Sam huffed and puffed all night, and the next morning. He sat in the backseat, sulking in his own self-pity. Dean just rolled his eyes as Sam, giving him a smile,

"Dude, its not going to be that bad, you should be used to it by now, besides, I'll be going back to school this time too"

Life went back to normal. Their maximum time in one spot was three months. During school holidays and breaks, Dean and John would go on hunts, leaving Sam to himself. It was finally the end of another school year.

"FIVE, I've been to five different schools this year!" Sam complained as they drove to Bobby's.

"Yeah, me too, so what's your point?" Dean tried to calm his brother, but didn't seem to have much effect.

"My point is, I've been to five different schools this year! How do you expect me to learn anything?"

"Well, I can tell you what you haven't learned, how to shut your piehole" Dean replied, irritated by his brother's outburst.

"Jerk!"

"Bitch!"

"Okay, you two stop it, now!" John shouted, stopping the two brothers instantly.

"Yes sir" Dean replied

"suck up" Sam groaned under his breath to Dean, receiving a much-deserved hateful glance from his older brother.

Summer came and went, the new school year started in a new school. Sam couldn't let it go when they beat last year's record. It was six schools this year. They barely stayed in one place longer than a month.

Dean didn't seem to mind. He had developed a cocky attitude. When he went to a new school, he didn't care. He found as many girls as he could to make out with, and didn't even bother doing his homework, he knew he wouldn't be there long enough for it to matter.

Sam tried. He kept up his grades and made as many friends as he could, which proved to be harder the older he got. He was tired of moving so much. Tired of feeling like a freak. He couldn't explain to the kids why they moved so much, so he found it easier to not make too many friends. He just concentrated on trying to keep his head low, and his grades up.

It wasn't like they were allowed to have a social life anyhow. They were under strict orders to return straight from school. The only place they were allowed to go was the library, for Sam's schoolwork. They weren't allowed to hang out anywhere, with anyone. It was a life of solitude, a life Sam hated.

He had plans. He was going to leave the family as soon as he was old enough. As soon as he graduated. He was going to go to college, to make something of himself, to become someone besides a hunter. But, he didn't dare tell anyone his plans. If he did, he was afraid Dad would make him stop going to school, block him from escaping the life he hated.

He tried once, he ran away for 2 weeks. But when Dad and Dean found him they weren't too happy. Actually, Dean seemed more relieved than mad, but Dad was pissed. He decided it best to not try that again, plus Dean had told him he'd get a hold of his ass himself if he ever tried something that stupid again.

Honestly, Sam was a little relieved when Dad started letting him go hunting with them. But, that was only because he didn't have to stay alone anymore, he wasn't thrilled about hunting. He loved the research part of it, but not so much the blood and gore that went along with killing the creatures. He didn't think he would ever get used to the smell of dead bodies, especially the ones they had to dig up and burn. The smell of burning flesh, was a unique smell, one that would never leave Sam's nasal passages.

He was jealous of Dean when he dropped out of school. But, he also had goals that required him to finish school. Dean's only goal was to hunt and kill the sons of bitches that hurt others. He didn't see a life beyond hunting. He didn't have any interest in anything else. No matter how tough the training got, or how unfair Dad's punishments were, he would stand strong and not leave their dad's side. He would fight till death.

Sam couldn't understand that. He couldn't understand how someone could have so much blind faith in someone else. He always made fun of his big brother, he called him 'Dad's little soldier' for years. He didn't see him as anything else. He couldn't see Dad as anything but a drill Sargent, he wasn't a dad anymore, that stopped a long time ago. But, Dean didn't seem to notice, or care.

It was Sam's first year of high school, and his first year without Dean there with him. He hated the emptiness he felt, but also loved the thought of freedom. Sure, he would still be watched, and have strict orders, but he wouldn't have anyone breathing down his neck while he was at school.

For once, he had a positive outlook on life. He had goals he was determined to see fulfilled and a new found freedom that he wouldn't take for granted. He even talked Dad into not making him move so much. He argued his case hard, and in the end, he won. He argued he was in high school and old enough to stay alone, they've left him alone for years, so why should this be any different. Just because they were going on a long hunt, far away, didn't matter, not with him being so much older. He could handle things himself. He knew the rules, knew the routine of salt lines and locks and weapons. He was surprised when Dad agreed. He was relieved that he wasn't going to be changing schools every month.

He was able to spend his first semester of high school in the same school. Then, he had to move, which was okay with him, as long as it wasn't in the middle of a semester. He was okay, for the time being, with the life he had. Dad and Dean seemed to be satisfied with their hunting life, for once, all was good in the Winchester family.


	11. Chapter 11

**The Changing Lights of the Rainbow**

Chapter 11

"Dad, I really don't like this place, it doesn't feel safe for Sam" Dean tried to argue, but John Winchester was not in the mood to listen to either of his sons run their mouths.

The thing is, he was used to Sam complain about everything. That kid never seemed to be happy with anything, but it wasn't like Dean to complain. He even seemed frustrated when Dad refused to listen to him.

The place was a run-down apartment. Dean wasn't even sure it was legal to live there. It did electricity, well half of the lights and plugs seemed to work anyhow, and there was water in the kitchen and one of the bathrooms. The plumbing was on the fits, so they had to be careful with the toilet, but at least it did have running water to it. The windows were mostly intact. There was one that was completely busted out, covered by a board that was nailed over the hole that once held the glass panes. There was another window that was cracked down the middle. Dean figured it would only take one strong wind to take it out.

The neighborhood was rough. It was the type that you didn't dare go outside of the door without a gun, and knife, within reach. The door to one room was torn off the hinges, it was there, but it wouldn't open or close. The bathroom door was almost as bad, but at least they were able to force it closed for a little privacy. The cabinets didn't look like they had been cleaned, or used, for several years. The furniture that remained in the place looked like something from the 50s, it smelled like it too. Dean was sure an animal was stuck between the walls and had died, or else their neighbor was laying in their apartment, dead. Either way, the smell wasn't going away any time soon.

"Damn it, Dad! Why won't you listen to me? Do you honestly think this is a safe place to leave Sam?"

Sam wasn't going to argue with Dean, he actually agreed with him, and Dean was doing a good job pleading his case.

"Look! I am so sick of listening to you unthankful brats bitching about every damn thing!" The anger that shot out of John's mouth shocked both of them. "If you don't want to go on this hunt with me, then fine, don't go. Stay here and babysit your brother. But, it's not exactly like we make a killing at this job, you know. So, you get what you can afford. Or, we can just forget about school for Sam and he can come along with us from now on."

"NO!" Sam shouted, "That's not fair! I'm not quitting school. Just because Dean wants to be dumb doesn't mean I'm going to be."

It was a low blow, and he knew it. But, he didn't care. If Dad was going to make him quit school because he wasn't capable of finding a safe place for them to stay, then he would just run away again. He was older this time. He could make it on his own, or go to Bobby's he would let him live there, and go back to school.

Sam knew Dean wasn't dumb, in fact he was smarter than Sam could ever be. Any time he had a question about his homework, Dean always knew the answer. He was able to figure out anything that was put in front of him. If they lived in a normal family, it wouldn't surprise Sam if Dean had a 4.0 GPA. But, instead, his brother was forced into the hunting life, he was made to concentrate on training and hunting, so, he didn't get the chance to put in the effort on his school work.

Of course, Dean always made sure Sam put all his concentration on school. He didn't want Sam to hunt. He used the excuse that they needed someone with book smarts, someone who could do all the boring research, but really, he just wanted to make sure Sam stayed safe, and followed his heart, and for some unknown reason Sam's heart was in the walls of the local school.

"I'm staying here" Dean stated, his voice full of authority and determination. "There's too many drafts, the windows aren't safe. I've already checked, all of them don't even lock. It would impossible to lay a salt line and expect it stay put with as much draft this place has. The neighborhood is rougher than any monster we've ever hunted. I'm not leaving him here alone, and that's final"

"If that's what you want, then stay here and babysit, I have a job to do"

"Me too, my number one job is to watch out for Sam, and that's what I intend to do"

John couldn't argue with that. It was the rule he put in place. And, Dean wasn't completely wrong, the neighborhood was a bad one, but that's one reason they were there. There was a lot of evil floating around the area. Some heavy demon activity had been reported.

He went over what he knew with Dean and Sam. Warning them of the dangers that were out there. Dean was to walk Sam to school every day and pick him up when it was over. He was not allowed to ride the bus or be out of Dean's sight when outside of their house.

Dean rolled his eyes at Dad's orders, "And, you were going to leave him alone? With all these strict rules and danger?"

"Shut up" was John's only reply. "Whatever you do, do NOT let anyone know you are hunters. If there is a heavy demon presence here, they'll know, or at least think they know, so if someone asks, assume they are evil and deny it. Also, remember don't ever give away the identity of anyone else you know of."

"That's an awful lot of rules and reminders for a place that, 5 minutes ago, was safe for Sam to stay alone."

"Look, I never said it was safe, but, I needed you to help me with this. I can't do it alone. But, I'll just make a call to someone else, see who's close that can help out. You're right, you need to stay here and keep an eye on your brother."

Sam just rolled his eyes, "If its so dangerous then why the hell did you move us here? Why couldn't I stay where I was at?"

"Because I need you close, I can't protect you if you're a few hours away."

Sam didn't even try to argue. He kept reminding himself he was on the down hill slope of his sophomore year, only two more years after this and he'd be free from the hunting world. He could do it, he's already managed to muffle through 16 years, what's 2 more? Dean had just had his 20th birthday. He wasn't sure Dad had noticed, but it didn't slip by Sam. He envied Dean for being older. If he was 20 he would already be a couple years through college and free from crap like this.

"Come on, Sam. We need to go to the store, unless you wanna starve while Dad's gone."

Sam huffed, "Is it safe to go to the store? Or are we gonna be ganked by some thud demon kid?"

"Oh, come on, it's not that bad. We just gotta be observant and cautious of our surroundings. I'll go alone if you're too scared."

"I'm not scared!" Sam protested as he made his way off the bed he was sitting on and headed out the door with Dean, but not before checking to make sure they both had weapons on them.

Dean did the shopping, he checked the fridge and microwave before heading to the store, they both seemed to work. The oven didn't, and only half the burners on the stovetop would come on, so he had to be careful about what he bought. Once they were finished they headed back to their apartment. It was only a half mile walk to the store, about a quarter more of a mile to the school.

"Hey, Sam" Dean said in a hushed tone

"Yeah?"

"Don't look now, but, I think there's someone following us."

"What!"

"shhh! Don't draw attention to yourself. Look, I want you to take the house key" he slipped the key into one of the grocery bags, "and the food, and walk in front of me. Keep the bags in front of you, and your hand on your pistol, but keep it hidden by the bags, got it?"

"Yeah, what about you?"

"I'm gonna hang back a little, make sure you make it safely in the house before shaking him off."

Sam nodded, and doubled his speed, his heartbeat doubled too. He could see Dean falling far behind him. Right before Sam reached the apartments Dean shot off down a walkway that led away from the building. The man followed Dean. Sam quickly unlocked the door and rushed inside, locking it behind him. He sat the bags down and reapplied the salt line in front of the door, then proceeded to check the other lines, they were all intact. He waited impatiently by the door, waiting for Dean to come back.

It seemed too long. Dean should have made his way back to their home by now. Where had he gone? Why wasn't he there? Sam actually felt scared. He was worried that something had happened to Dean. He grabbed the cell phone Dad left for them, and called him.

"Hello, this is John Winchester"

"Dad! you need to come home, NOW! Something's happened to Dean!" Sam's words were coming out so fast that they were stumbling into each other.

"Whoa, whoa, slow down there, Buddy, what's going on? What happened?"

"We went to the store, to get food, and on the walk back, Dean said someone was following us. He told me to take the bags, he put the key in the bag, and told me to keep my hand on my pistol, covered by the bags in my other hand. He told me to hurry up and get to the house, so I did. I got here as quick as I could."

Sam had to pause to catch his breath

"But, before I got to our door, Dean led the man down a different path. He didn't speed up, if anything he slowed down, letting him get closer to Dean and further from me. I guess he didn't want the man to know what house we were in, but, Dad, he should have been back by now. Something's wrong, I just know it, something bad has happened. Dad, please, hurry, please!"

"Okay, Sam, we're on our way, I need you to just calm down."

"Okay, all the salt lines are in place, and I've been waiting by the door so I could unlock it and let Dean in, but he hasn't come back yet! I even have the salt sitting right here, beside the door, so we could reapply it after the door was opened. But, he hasn't come back, Dad, he's not back!"

"Sam, son, calm down! You getting all upset isn't gonna help your brother any. I want you to stay put, you hear me? And, if he comes back, call me! We are about 30 minutes out, so just hang in there. We'll drive by the area and see if we can find him before coming home."

"Okay, just hurry, please. Hey, Dad, who's 'we'?"

"Bobby and Pastor Jim were nearby, following leads on this as well, they just didn't have as much information as I had, so they are with me, we'll find Dean, okay?"

"Yeah, can I talk to Bobby?"

John handed Bobby the phone, both men were confused by the boy's request.

"Hey there, squirt, you alright?"

"No! Bobby, I'm scared, I'm really scared."

"It's gonna be alright, we'll find your brother, okay?"

"Yeah, but…"

"What is it? Spit it out, boy"

"Well, I have a bad feeling, like a really bad feeling. Something's wrong, and I don't like it. It's scaring me!"

"Alright, just hang in there, got it? I want you to find a place to hide, where no one will be able to find you. Dean will know how to knock if he comes back, just keep your ears opened, and eyes peeled for any danger. We'll be there as soon as we can."

"Okay. And Bobby, thanks"

"Yeah, no problem kid"

John drove as fast as he could. The fact he hadn't listened to his boys' warnings was rubbing him the wrong way. He didn't even know who was following him. It could have been your normal neighborhood perv who only had one thing on his mind. As hard as that would be, it would probably be the best of the worst. The other options were his son was laying somewhere in a ditch, dead, or had been captured by a demon.

One thing was for sure, there was no way Dean would leave Sam worried about him if he could help it. So, for Dean to be gone long enough that Sam called their dad, wasn't a good sign. Sam would never call Dad, even if he was dying, so the fact he received a phone call at all was cause for immediate concern. The boy wouldn't even talk to his dad, as soon as he found out Bobby was there, he poured his heart out to him, but didn't dare do so with his dad.

John made his rounds around the town with no sign of his oldest boy. He hadn't received a call telling him he was home. This wasn't good. Not at all. He pulled up to the apartment, Bobby headed to their house to check on Sam while John and Pastor Jim set out on foot, looking for the boy.

Bobby had the house key, so no need to knock. "Sammy? Sam!" Bobby shouted, knowing he told the kid to hide somewhere good. "It's me, Bobby, your dad and Jim are out on foot, couldn't find anyone driving around, where you at boy?"

Sam came running and trampled the man with a tight hug. "Bobby! Bobby!" His eyes were red and swollen from the tears he had been shedding. "They need to find Dean! Please, Bobby, please, you have to find him!"

"Calm down, boy, we're doing all we can right now. Let's just hope your daddy finds him on foot."

Sam didn't release his hold from Bobby. He had shifted the boy to the couch and sat with him in his arms. Not that he had much of a choice since the boy wouldn't release him. His trembling arms held tight around the man's chest, his too fast heart could be felt against Bobby's side where Sam had pressed his body. It was like the kid was trying to disappear, escape from reality.

"It's gonna be alright, boy, Dean's strong, it's gonna be alright"

Bobby tried to sooth the boy, to give him hope, but it didn't seem to be doing much good. He knew the bond the boys had, he knew Sam wouldn't be comforted until he laid eyes back on his living, breathing brother.

"DAD!" Sam shouted as his dad and Jim came into the home, without Dean. "Dad! Where's Dean? Did you find him? Where is he, dad?"

"I don't know, son, but we'll find him. It's getting dark out and there was no sign of him anywhere, it's not gonna do much good to keep looking, so we need to regroup. I need you to tell me everything you can remember, what the man looked like, everything. We need to treat this like any other case, we need facts and need to figure out what we're up against."

Sam hated the thought of leaving his brother alone over night, but knew his dad was right.

"First thing in the morning, at dawn, we'll take whatever we have, and start the search again. Hopefully we'll be able to come up with something between now and then."

All the men agreed, and Bobby sent Sam to bed after the told them everything he could think of about their evening. There wasn't anything suspicious, nothing really other than Dean noticing they were being followed. Sam thinks he saw the man at the store, but can't be sure. He gave them a good description of the man. Jim said he would go to the store and watch security cameras first thing in the morning. Hopefully they would give them some more information. The men took shifts sleeping, someone stayed awake just in case Dean returned. There was no such luck.

At dawn, the men headed back out. Jim put on his best FBI suit and headed to the store to follow up on a missing person's case. And the other 2 went on foot, checking, and rechecking the surrounding area. Sam remained asleep. They thought it best not to wake him. The kid had a rough day and a long night. John had laid the cell phone beside his bed, just in case he needed to get a hold of him or if Dean called.

Once Jim was finished at the store the men regrouped,

"It was a demon, that's for sure. He followed the boys around the store. Not directly, but he kept a close eye on them. There were a couple times you could see his eyes turn black. Dean noticed him, but didn't react. I don't think he knew he was noticed, but Dean kept an eye on him. I figure it was after the suspicious man followed them out of the store that Dean realized they were in trouble. He only waited a minute before following the boys from the store, Dean was sure to have noticed that, especially after he had noticed him watching them."

Jim handed them pictures that he had printed off,

"This is the man that followed them out of the store. I can't be sure, but I think these 2 men were with him, probably also demons, I would assume. They acted like they were helping by blocking aisles and keeping an eye on the boys too, but like I said, I can't be completely sure, so just keep your eyes opened for them as well."

It was getting late, nearly 11:00 and Sam hadn't called John. He figured the boy would call as soon as he woke to find out any update and complain that they didn't wake him. John tried to call him, but didn't get an answer. Heading back to the apartment to check on his youngest son, everything seemed normal, until he walked in Sam's room. The window was broken out, a small trace of blood on the edges of the broken glass, sulfur traces at the window, and no Sam. He was now missing too.


	12. Chapter 12

**The Changing Lights of the Rainbow**

Chapter 12

Dean wasn't sure exactly what had happened, the last thing he remembered he was walking… walking away from Sam… leading someone away from Sam… but now, he was hanging by some ropes. They were tied tight around his wrists, dangled from the rafters above him. His toes were an inch too far away to reach the floor.

His eyes felt heavy as he forced them open. His head was groggy and pain shot through his temples and across the back of his skull. His wrists had lost circulation, but he could still feel the prickling burning sensation, accompanied by the blood that trickled down his arms from the areas the ropes dug into his wrists.

His shirt was missing, his pants were torn to shreds, barely hanging on, the stinging of a whip slicing through his back sent a groan of pain escaping his lips. Another slice, through his legs. He could smell the copper of blood that had run down his body and pooled on the ground beneath him. He didn't even have time to bring his mind into focus before painful blow, after painful blow, struck his body, tearing the remaining of his pants from his legs, digging deep into his tender flesh.

"Well, well, well," the man who stepped before him, put his hand in the air to stop the beating, it was the same man that was following them. "Look who's awake, you decide to join the party?"

"Go to hell!" was Dean's reply

"Oh, I've already been there" the man's eyes flashed black then returned to their color, "They said I was too evil to stay, sent me back here, to torture souls."

"What the hell do you want with me?"

"Oh, I don't know, some information, and a good time" the demon grinned at Dean.

Dean scrunched his face and gave a sideways, smug grin, "I don't swing that way, sweetheart."

"Oh, you'll swing anyway I want you too" The demon replied, sending a punch to Dean's side, making his body swing on the ropes he was hanging by.

Dean sucked in a deep breath against the stronger than human punch, and released it with a groan of pain. Over and over, until the demon gave him a smug smile and walked out of the room. Before Dean's mind could process what was happening, there was a thick cloud of smoke surrounding him. That was the last thing he remembered.

"John, calm down, would ya!" Bobby and Pastor Jim were trying to calm the father of the missing boys. "We'll find them, we just gotta keep our heads on straight."

John sat on his oldest boy's bed in the room they shared. Talking it out, just like they would with any other hunt. It was Bobby and Jim's idea. John was ready to run wild, guns blazing, until he found his boys.

"The phone!" John broke the silence with a too loud voice.

"Huh?"

"The phone, that I left Sam. It's gone, he must have taken it with him, maybe he was trying to call me? Before he was taken?"

"That thing got tracking on it?"

"Yeah, of course, when would I ever leave them something I couldn't track?"

Dean's eyes felt heavy, his head was foggy as he opened his eyes. He was hanging upside down. The ropes tied around his ankles. His fingers brushed across the floor. He couldn't put his palms down, but was able to push himself up with his fingers, relieving the pressure from his numb ankles. He lifted his head and he heard a noise, trying to push the blood that was pooling in his head back down.

His brain went into shock mode when he saw his little brother. He was tied to a chair with a gag in his mouth. Tears streaming down his face. Fear written in his expression.

"Sam?" Dean's voice was hoarse, almost nonexistent.

Sam mumbled in response, unable to talk around the gag.

"Good! You're awake" The voice came from the man who had black eyes, standing in the corner of the room.

"You son of a bitch! Leave my brother alone!" Dean spat at him.

"Oh, well, now, that all depends on you."

"Go back to hell you son of a bitch" Dean shouted.

"Not until I have my fun"

"What the hell do you want with us?"

"I would be asking you the same thing"

"Wh… what's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, I don't know, you see, me and my family and friends, we had us a good set up here, no one even gave a shit. Then you damn Winchesters had to come to town and ruin it for us. Why is that? huh? So, I figured I'd teach you damn hunters a lesson!"

"Yeah, okay, message received. Now you can let us go"

The demon chuckled, "Not so fast, I haven't finished my lesson yet."

The demon had grabbed Dean's head, pulling his body up at a weird angle, arching his back in pain. He ran his hand down the side of his face, following through down his torso and stopping right above his crotch.

Dean snarled at him, "Don't touch me" he growled out between clenched teeth.

"Then, maybe I should just have you trade places with your little brother?"

"DON'T YOU TOUCH HIM!"

"Him, or you"

"You, sick son of a bitch" Dean grunted. There was no way he would let anyone touch his brother.

With a chuckle the demon grabbed Dean's boxers, grasping his crotch in the process. "This is going to be so nice!" he cooed as he rubbed against him.

Dean gritted his teeth. He tried to prepare himself for the pain, for the inevitable. But, there was no way he could prepare himself for something he knew nothing about. He tried to muffle his cries, but couldn't stop the screams that exited through his lips. His body had never felt so much pain as the dark eyed man, with unnatural human strength, pushed himself inside of him.

Sam tried to scream too, but the gag muffled his cries. Tears ran heavier down his cheeks as he was forced to watch his brother be beaten and violated with as much violence as the demon could muster up.

God, Dean wanted to allow his body to just give in, to go into unconsciousness. But, he was too afraid, no matter how much it hurt he couldn't let that sick bastard touch his little brother. His mind had stopped functioning, he was sure his body was completely numb, either that or it hurt all over and he couldn't tell the difference anymore.

Sounds and lights were blending together. He couldn't tell the difference anymore. He was sure every drop of blood had run from his body into his head. He couldn't hear the loud banging sound. Couldn't see the movement surrounding him. He didn't know if the demon was still attacking him or if he had finished. He didn't know if he was awake or not, or even alive or dead. Honestly, he didn't care anymore.

He felt hands on him, grabbing him. In his mind he tried to push them away, tried to fight, but he wasn't sure if his body was doing what his mind wanted it to. He tried to keep the hands from getting him. He didn't want to be hurt anymore. He didn't want any more pain.

He kept screaming 'NO' but wasn't sure if it was only in his head or if he was really screaming. Screaming and fighting. That's the only thing running through his mind. He's a hunter and a Winchester. Fight was the only thing he knew, there was no flight, not in his life.

"Boy, calm down, its me, Dad, stop fighting me, it's okay, I got you now" John held his oldest son in his arms, his youngest boy was grasping his dad's arm, tears streaming down both of their faces. Bobby and Pastor Jim took care of sending the demon back to hell, while John tended to his sons.

They gathered the boys, rushing them from the place that caused them so much pain. The men had already packed their belongings. They had no plans on returning to the home the boys were taken from. They headed to Bobby's they knew it would be safe there. Sam wrapped himself around his brother in the backseat while John and Bobby sat in the front seat.

"I'm sorry, S'my" Dean mumbled. His eyes were only opened a small slit, he was sure he wouldn't be able to open them all the way. They felt too heavy. The pain was beginning to come back, and seemed to have a vengeance against him.

"For what?" Sam looked up at his brother, unwrapping himself slightly, looking confused.

"I couldn't stop them."

"Dean, it's not your fault."

"I tried, Sam, I tried. I wasn't strong enough. I'm sorry"

Sam just wrapped his arms around his brother, "It's okay, we're both okay."

Dean closed his eyes again, falling back asleep before the pain could overtake him.

Bobby and John's hearts sunk with the boy's confession. It wasn't his fault. It didn't matter how hard he fought, sometimes, bad things just happen. Dean's programed mind wouldn't let him accept anything except to protect his brother, and in his current state, he felt he had failed at that.

Once Dean was awake again, John had time to think about the words his oldest had said, he had too much time, the words running over and over in his brain.

"Hey, Dean-o?"

"Yeah?" Dean's voice was still broken and weak.

"You know it wasn't your fault, right? Nothing that happened was your fault. You did good, kiddo, you did real good. You kept your brother safe."

"I… uh… thanks?"

Sam was asleep, his head on Dean's back. Dean was laying half way on his side and half on his stomach. Sam was squeezed in the back seat beside his brother.

"Dean, it's going to be okay, you hear me?"

"Yeah" Dean didn't seem too sure of himself. His tone said he didn't believe the words his dad said.

John let it go, for now, knowing his son needed rest and time to get his head cleared. Dean closed his eyes and allowed the humming of the motor to comfort him back to sleep.

Before he knew it, they were at their destination. He didn't mind being back at Bobby's.


End file.
